Professional Documents
Culture Documents
FOR THE
RE-EDUCATION AND REINTEGRATION OF
YOUNG OFFENDERS
CENTRAL EDUCATIONAL
AND THERAPEUTIC TREATMENT
PROGRAMME FOR YOUNG
OFFENDERS
ISBN: 978-84-614-4771-8
D.L.: M-30.884-2010
Layout and printing: B.O.C.M.
PRESENTATION
From the moment of its creation, five years ago, Community of Madrids Agency for
the Re-education and Reintegration of Young Offenders has managed to develop and
maintain courses of action broadly supported by the academic and professional spheres
and by the results and efficiency achieved.
This Autonomous Body, dependent on Community of Madrids Regional Ministry of
Presidency, Justice and the Interior, assumed that it had to promote the best educational
and therapeutic interventions with young offenders with the aim of reducing the risk of
reoffending as much as possible, because, ultimately, this is the social task entrusted.
For this purpose, the Agency has developed numerous programmes and actions,
assuming that the greatest assurance to achieve its objective can only be obtained
through advances in research and current scientific knowledge. Many of these
programmes are pioneering not only in Spain but also internationally, and several
cooperation agreements with different European and Latin American countries are being
signed, as well as with universities, academic bodies and non-profit associations that
support work with young offenders.
The programmes developed by the Agency in collaboration with prestigious universities
or associations with ample experience in the field concerned are aimed, among others,
at young people serving sentences for sexual assault offences, exhibiting violence
towards parents, or having drug problems or significant behaviour disorders.
The book presented here is also proof of this course of action. It is the result of two
years of work and the outcome of the research undertaken by the Agency between 2006
and 2008, directed by prestigious experts in the subject and published in 2008. The
findings of that research have led to new intervention programmes with young
offenders, such as the one presented here.
I cannot fail to mention the efforts of all professionals involved in this task. It is only
through the dedication of the Agencys staff, especially educators and technicians, that
satisfactory results with young offenders can be achieved. Very often this effort is not
adequately taken into consideration, and success is not properly valued in most cases.
These are words of support and appreciation to all those anonymous professionals that
go far beyond what is required in the task of re-educating young offenders.
Collaboration with the academic world has been a cornerstone in the development of all
these actions. The Agency has achieved an unusual overlap between institutions that, in
this case, are dedicated to the same end from different perspectives, and necessarily
have to converge to provide the best tools for intervention. The experience provided by
the Agency with its direct knowledge of reality, along with the experience of the
University in the field of science, can only ensure greater efficiency in the tasks carried
out in common. The Agencys participation in the training of future professionals, the
shared evaluation of educational programmes implemented with young people or the
training done by university students in resources for the implementation of sentences
with shared tutorials, are but other examples of this collaboration, which ensures the
best achievement of common goals.
Finally, I must make mention of the young people and the work done with them. We
focus on delivering educational and therapeutic intervention which takes into account
various issues, both the behaviour of young offenders and their shortcomings, which
evaluates justly young peoples deficits and their consequences, which enables their
assumption of responsibility, considering them as bearers of rights and providing them
with the knowledge to face life with great rigor and respect. The aim is, in short, to
equip these young people with the best and widest range of socio-personal resources so
that they can become positive leading actors of their own story, which will allow them
to integrate into society in a free, committed and, above all, responsible way.
Francisco Granados Lerena
Regional Ministry of Presidency, Justice and the Interior
Community of Madrid
PROLOGUE
Ultimately, asserting again the spirit of this law in support of reintegration, we believe
that a clear example of it is reflected in the following underlying principles for the
implementation of judicial measures:
The best interest of the young person.
Respect for the free development of the young persons personality.
Information on the rights young people have and the assistance necessary to exercise
them.
The implementation of mainly educational programmes that foster the sense of
responsibility and respect for the rights and freedoms of others.
The adaptation of actions to the young persons age, personality, and personal and
social circumstances.
The priority for action in the young persons own familial and social environment,
provided it is not prejudicial to his or her interest. Preferential use of standardized
resources of the community.
The promotion of the collaboration of parents, guardians or legal representatives.
The preferably interdisciplinary character of decision-making.
Confidentiality and absence of unnecessary interference.
The coordination of actions and the collaboration with other organizations.
Profile of young offenders
The age of peak incidence at the time of initiation of a sentence is 16-17. We must
highlight a slight increase in the number of women in the youth justice system.
Although the percentage of women is around 17% of the total population, it has
increased significantly in recent years.
Young offenders from Spanish families cover a wide variety of features and
particularities, ranging from circumstances related, for example, to the abandonment of
parental responsibilities, parents lack of educational strategies or overly permissive
styles of education, to families that for generations have perpetuated marginalized
lifestyles and present the purest criminogenic profiles described in the literature.
Young offenders from other countries are characterized, in some cases, by having
reached Spain illegally. These are unaccompanied young people who have no point of
reference in their families in order to cope with their daily lives, have problems with
their documents, or are even undocumented. These young people, whose number has
clearly decreased within the youth justice system, show, in general, significant personal
dysfunction, with lifestyles highly influenced by peer groups with similar characteristics
and a clear high-risk social situation, as they are highly vulnerable. In other cases, with
an increasing incidence in the system, we find teenagers who have immigrated to join
their parents, who were already in Spain; there is often a remarkable feeling of being
uprooted and obvious difficulty in integrating into a new society, into a different
culture, without the necessary support. This, coupled with parents long work hours,
leads them to a situation in which they lack the necessary supervision and control by
adults who can regulate and influence the practice of healthy lifestyles.
In general, one way or another, these are young people who show or have shown a high
degree of truancy and school failure, and their intellectual capacity is below average,
often due to lack of educational and socio-affective stimuli. They have experienced, to
varying degrees, consumption of different drugs, remain unoccupied most of the day,
have no limits or rules, and show low frustration tolerance and poor ability to solve
problems. Moreover, they generally have low self-esteem and, in most cases, the
feelings of efficacy are seriously undermined.
In short, these young people are, in one way or another, regarded as lacking in affection,
opportunities, success, rewarding experiences, positive models, educational stimuli, as
well as in rules and limits that provide self-confidence. They also lack motivation, and
have few personal resources and strategies to enable them to overcome crises and
provide them with the necessary changes to improve their lifestyle.
In general, it could be stated that young offenders in custody have different types of
needs and levels of intensity depending on the case, and, therefore, the consequences on
their social and personal sphere are different:
School-related and academic. Young people who have not had the opportunity to
receive school education (for cultural, political or social reasons), as is the case of many
foreign young people, or have shown high levels of truancy, which has resulted in
school failure and significant academic deficits. Therefore, their level is below the
average that would correspond to their age.
Intellectual. We find young people who often have attention deficit and inability to
concentrate. They are hardly persevering, or not persevering at all, and do not have
work habits or skills to perform tasks that require discipline.
Affective. A large majority of young people belong to dysfunctional households. In
many cases, their childhood has been marked by inattention; they may have suffered
physical or psychological abuse and abandonment by one or both parents. They may
also have been overprotected, having their potential negated. It might be the case that no
boundaries and clear rules have been set for their proper social development. We also
find an increasing number of young people, especially in connection with domestic
violence offences in which parents are abused by their children, who, having had all
material needs met, do not have adequate self-control of impulses and whose frustration
tolerance level is very low, being directly related to the parenting styles maintained.
Social. In many cases, these are young people from areas where a scarcely prosocial
lifestyle is imposed and internalized. The children of immigrant families suffer a great
cultural change and have difficulty adapting to it, which favours links with other young
people in a similar situation.
Cultural. These young people quite often belong to cultures different from the most
accepted ones by society, with customs and practices not understood by the community
in general. They do not participate in the dominant culture, and may be integrated in
marginal subcultures related to crime, drugs and violence. They are often very easily
influenced by cultural mainstream elements such as television, advertising and
consumerism.
Occupational. The social and family groups in which these young people operate
show a high level of work inactivity. In addition, there are frequent cases in which the
activities they carry out as a source of income are marginal and, sometimes, illegal. We
must also mention excessively long working hours, sometimes linked to job insecurity
and unstable jobs, which ultimately leads to significant precariousness.
Health. Although these young people generally show normal health in relation to their
age group, it is noteworthy that they also show deficiencies related to oral health, food
and hygiene habits, inaccuracies in the vaccination schedule, skin infections, eye
inattentio. In short, they are significantly lacking in all matters related to the prevention
and improvement of overall health. We also find frequent use of toxic substances,
usually associated with the peer group and the leisure areas.
Leisure. Characterized by its poor structuring, we refer here to passive leisure, usually
in the meeting places of the group. The alternative is individual leisure, either associated
with television viewing or the use of computers, videogames, etc. This type of leisure is
hardly constructive and its contribution to personal development is small.
Personality. In general, these are young people who have low or dysfunctional selfesteem, low frustration tolerance, deficits in cognitive abilities, emotional instability and
difficulties related to empathy. They are also hardly assertive, have few skills to resolve
conflicts and show obvious difficulty to follow rules and control their impulses.
Regarding the most frequent offences committed by young offenders, they are mainly
related to theft in its various forms and, to a lesser extent, to damage, larceny and injury.
The percentages related to more serious offences are not significant, despite the alarm
they usually cause. On the other hand, domestic violence offences in which children
abuse their parents, which began to emerge significantly in 2006, now reach
approximately 13% of cases.
In this regard, it is a fundamental task of Community of Madrids Agency for the Reeducation and Reintegration of Young Offenders to ensure that young offenders take
control of their own life in a responsible way. It is therefore necessary to carry out
responsible intervention that will enable young people to solve deficits that have
accumulated in their personal development in order to reintegrate them into society as
trained, responsible and committed free citizens.
To this end, the implementation of programmes and activities offering valuable, highly
self-demanding experiences in which they play a positive leading role is an essential
incentive to develop properly and to improve their self-esteem and self-concept.
TREATMENT PROGRAMS
We consider that action with young offenders must be based on three fundamental
elements of intervention, plus a fourth element that is related to the family context:
1. The educational and training intervention in all its broad contents: schooling,
vocational training, sports, non-formal education about the routines of daily life,
activities for values education and personal development.
2. Job placement, as the main element of social integration, comprising the first stages
of job search and development of skills to carry it out, the maintenance of the job and
the support to the young person for its development and consolidation.
3. The professional and therapeutic intervention that addresses the specific criminogenic
needs, i.e. the dynamic risk factors in each case. In this regard, the Agency is carrying
out some pioneering and particularly interesting work, such as the development of
General and Specialized Treatment Programmes.
4. A fourth aspect must be added, which, despite having been addressed for some time
now, continues to have growing importance as we progress in research work and data
collection; this aspect is none other than family intervention. The information we collect
from different areas confirms the essential role of family interaction: domestic violence
involving children who abuse their parents -or violence towards parents-, membership
in violent groups or its influence on the development of young peoples criminal careers
are some aspects in which family origins are revealed as essential.
The individualization of treatment is one of the cornerstones of our intervention. Article
27.1 of Law 5/2000 provides for the preparation of a report on the young persons
psychological, educational and family situation, as well as his or her social
environment, and, in general, any other relevant circumstances for the purpose of
adopting some of the measures established. This information is very valuable, not only
because it helps personalize treatment, but also, and this is much less acknowledged, in
order to address the offence in a specific way, as seen in the last paragraph, since the
circumstances mentioned must determine the specificity of both the young person and
the offence, which ultimately is nothing but a specific and particular action of the
individual.
In addition to being established by law, the educational approach we maintain, the spirit
with which the Agency was created and the effectiveness in achieving the objectives
sought, require this attention.
The individualization of intervention involves adjusting treatment to the needs, as well
as the risk and protective factors, each young person has. Although global intervention
on the overall circumstances of the young persons development has been carried out so
far, taking for granted that these circumstances are directly linked to the behaviours that
constitute the punished offence, the Agency tries to further develop the analysis and
understanding of antisocial behaviour, considering it not only a result from generic
factors, but other factors as well, both external and internal, specific and determinant in
each individual.
Intervention on general aspects of the different contexts (social and family aspects,
school records and interactions) is not without great significance, since they can foster
offending behaviour, but it would not be enough unless we consider individual
specificity. A robbery with violence is not directly determined by the same factors as
bodily injury or violence towards parents; in addition, even regarding the same offence,
the variables will be different from one young person to another.
We are referring here to the factors that establish a direct probability of occurrence or
non-occurrence of offending behaviour: alcohol consumption, in a particular case, is a
Programme for the Prediction of the Risk of Reoffending, the Agencys choice of
tools that help predict the risk of reoffending, such as the Management and
Intervention Inventory for Young People (IGI-J), which is already being applied to
all young offenders in our institutions and whose first results will soon be published, has
many advantages and two objectives:
On the one hand, to check the young peoples objective evolution while they are
serving the sentence, with all the advantages this involves: it unifies assessment and
case management by different intervention agents by homogenizing interventions,
providing continuity and ensuring the necessary educational intervention, regardless of
the institution where the child is located, and, ultimately, it allows the different
professionals involved to speak in the same language.
On the other hand, to establish, in a methodologically correct way, the approach to the
case from the beginning to the end of the sentence, while providing accurate data for
possible further research, reinforcing the technical approach before the judicial
institutions and enabling the optimization of the various resources available, as it
clarifies what the most important needs of each young person are.
The Central Educational and Therapeutic Treatment Programme for young
offenders, developed in collaboration with the Complutense University of Madrid
and presented in this publication after having been put to the test in all centres
dependent on the Agency in the course of a year, seeks to deal with the issues outlined
above. Numerous professionals of the Agency have participated in its development and
implementation; their support and effort must be specifically acknowledged and
appreciated here.
This programme deals with the various aspects directly related to offending behaviour.
It is aimed at changing attitudes and beliefs that justify violence, recognizing emotions
involved in it, assuming ones own responsibility for the criminal events in which one
has been involved, the modification of aggressive habits leading to the commission of
the criminal act, the empathy with the victim, as well as promoting the construction of a
lifestyle alternative to aggression and violence. It is, in short, a programme for
preventing reoffending, taking into account each young persons risk and protective
factors.
This programme must also be viewed as part of the tutorial action plan that the
educational staff, both working at the centres and participating in supervision out of the
centres, are currently implementing. That is, it must be considered within the continuum
of therapeutic intervention that is already being carried out. Thus, the Programme
becomes a new element of technical improvement and it enables better performance of
the professional duty. Moreover, it is specifically a tool for analysis, monitoring and
assessment in order to optimize the intervention with young offenders. Therefore, the
aim is to contribute to a quantitative and qualitative improvement of these young
peoples potential and, eventually, to a greater and better qualification of their personal
development and social competence.
To this end, the programme focuses on addressing the cognitive dissonances that have
led to antisocial behaviour by giving the participants a better understanding of
themselves, the emotions involved in aggression and how to control them. On the other
hand, it also deals with the replacement of aggressive habits and the improvement of
self-control and self-esteem. It is aimed, in short, at promoting strategies and skills that
allow them to develop motivation for change and at fostering a lifestyle alternative to
aggression and violence by preventing relapse and allowing proper social integration.
Along with this programme, several other supplementary therapeutic and educational
programmes are being developed. These programmes aim at the proper use of leisure
time, the development of prosocial skills and the establishment of guidelines for living
with others. Although all these issues have been addressed with young people in a
structured way for some time, we want to strengthen them, as well as give them a more
appropriate form and the highest possible technical and scientific support.
The second course of action related to treatment programmes is aimed at the
development of specific intervention programmes regarding certain types of offences
that, due to their specific characteristics, differ from the rest. This course of action is
presented as the appropriate one for addressing the issues that require a change in
approach in relation to how it was being done in most cases so far.
Until recently, the defining element of intervention was offending behaviour in
general. However, we were already aware, as mentioned earlier, that young people who
abuse their parents do not require the same type of assistance as the ones who commit a
sexual assault or a robbery with violence, so the same treatment cannot be applied.
The decision to establish centres and/or programmes specialized in different problems is
determined, in fact, by the need for attention to the offence with its distinguishing
features and, therefore, for the development of specific programmes. However, we
could not just establish this structure without supporting it with the analysis of these
problems.
Thus, as an example, nearly three years ago the Agency decided to develop an
intervention programme for violence towards parents. Although initial doubts were
natural, as there was no suitable model for this need, the results have shown we were
right. The centre specialized in this issue has received over a hundred young people, and
reoffending in this field has decreased from more than 30% at the start to less than 3%
today, which must be considered as an achievement from any point of view.
Furthermore, we believe that the work we carry out in this area is very important from a
social perspective, as it can provide a model of educational and therapeutic intervention
based on the work on patterns of relationship and parenting educational styles, which
really works and moves away from concepts close to mental illness or personality
disorder, which are much less susceptible of intervention and do not reflect the reality of
the problem.
The specialized programmes are developed with the help of professionals and centres
specific to each of the areas. The usual technical team (psychologist, social worker and
educator) is complemented by other professionals specialized in the various profiles and
programmes. The current specialized programmes are the following:
Violence towards parents. Specific programme aimed at the treatment of young
people who have committed this offence. The seriousness of the problem behaviour and
the degree of awareness of it by both the family and the young person, along with their
collaboration on the treatment, are considered as key elements to guide intervention, the
probability of maintaining this behaviour thus decreasing.
Sex offenders. Specific programme that is developed with young people who have
committed offences against sexual integrity. It focuses mainly on empathy for the
victim, cognitive distortions, modification of sexual urge/self-control and relapse
prevention. It also deals with the development of cross-content ranging from sex
education to social skills and specific intervention with the family.
Toxic substance consumption therapeutic programme. Programme for support and
reinforcement of the process of detoxification and rehabilitation of the young person
who has problems of abuse of psychoactive substances or addiction to them. These
young people need a structured context in which to carry out therapeutic action, and due
to their personal characteristics and/or detention regime, they cannot be treated as
outpatients or through other programmes.
Mothers with dependent children. Designation of specific centre and adaptation of
infrastructure and spaces favouring the development of mother-child relationship. In
addition to the intervention carried out as young offenders, great stress is placed on the
acquisition of a greater awareness of maternal responsibility.
Mental health therapeutic programme. This programme is aimed at restoring and
promoting mental health and, therefore, at the adjustment and integral harmony of the
young person, through the development of a differential diagnosis of the
psychopathology associated with the commission of the offence and the establishment
of specific treatment.
From the perspective of this Agency, we understand that the fundamental justification
for the judicial measures imposed on young offenders lies in preparing them for
successful integration into society.
In general, these young people are recognized only for their offending nature, often
forgetting the circumstances of social disadvantage in which many of them have been
involved. From this point of view, we understand that the infringement, the infraction or
the offence are, in many cases, a consequence of the above.
Therefore, those entrusted with the social mission of carrying out intervention during
the implementation of judicial measures must not ignore the joint perspective that
brings together the young offender and the young person who is lacking, because only
from this double perspective it is possible to provide the measures imposed on young
people with content and effective intervention. To this end, judicial measures, besides
the penal response they represent, also have an obvious therapeutic dimension.
From this point of view, the principles that guide intervention must focus on the
development of responsibility, leading young people to take responsibility for the
consequences their actions have both for themselves and for others. On the other hand,
the intervention must be professional, planned and individualized, and it must enable
young people to overcome the deficits they have. Each measure imposed on a young
person is ordinarily adopted by taking into account both the act committed and his or
her potential, knowledge, values and shortcomings. In this regard, we understand that
the principle of training is especially relevant, so these young people must be provided
with varied educational programmes that help address the different situations in which
the individual has needs, taking into account the increase in school and pre-employment
skills, programmes that improve the resources for social development, the levels of
physical, mental and social health, and, of course, programmes that aim at the
motivation for change in the lifestyle, paying special attention to the modification of
their behaviour and the development of values.
Carmen Balfagn Lloreda
Managing Director
Community of Madrids Agency for the
Re-education and Reintegration of Young Offenders
INDEX
1. INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................17
1.1. Educational and therapeutic intervention.................................................................18
1.2. Central Educational and Therapeutic Programme....................................................19
1.3. Programme users guide...........................................................................................22
1.3.1. Concepts and terminology used in the programme...................................22
1.3.2. Instructions for implementing the programme.........................................26
1.3.3. Therapeutic skills for the implementation of the programme...................28
1.3.4. Form for the assessment of educational and therapeutic progress............29
MODULE I.
CHARACTERIZATION OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR.......................................33
Session 1: Assessment of criminal behaviour.................................................................35
Session 2: Characteristics of criminal behaviour............................................................44
Session 3: Functional analysis of criminal behaviour.....................................................51
Session 4: Motivation for criminal behaviour.................................................................57
Session 5: Motivation for change....................................................................................62
MODULE II.
EMOTIONS INVOLVED IN AGGRESSION............................................................68
Session 1: Recognition of emotions and their influence on aggression..........................71
Session 2: Practicing positive emotions: the role of empathy.........................................80
Session 3: Anxiety and its influence on aggression........................................................86
Session 4: Management of anxiety..................................................................................93
MODULE III.
CONTROL OF NEGATIVE EMOTIONS...............................................................102
Session 1: Anger and aggressive behaviour: assessment (I).........................................105
Session 2: Anger and aggressive behaviour: assessment (II)........................................111
Session 3: Strategies for anger management.................................................................117
Session 4: Practicing strategies for managing anger (I)................................................126
Session 5: Practicing strategies for managing anger (II)...............................................131
MODULE IV.
BELIEFS THAT SUSTAIN CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR........................................137
Session 1: The influence of thoughts on behaviour.......................................................139
Session 2: Assessment of distorted thoughts................................................................148
Session 3: Consequences of distorted thoughts.............................................................157
Session 4: Modification of distorted thoughts (I)..........................................................164
Session 5: Modification of distorted thoughts (II).........................................................177
MODULE V.
MODIFICATION OF AGGRESSIVE HABITS......................................................182
Session 1: Characterization of aggressive behaviour: acquisition and development....185
Session 2: Characterization of aggressive behaviour: maintenance..............................193
Session 3: Breaking the habit of aggressive behaviour (I)............................................202
Session 4: Breaking the habit of aggressive behaviour (II)...........................................207
MODULE VI.
PERSONALITY AND ITS INFLUENCE ON SOCIAL DEVIANCE...................212
Session 1: Self-concept and self-esteem (I)...................................................................214
Session 2: Self-concept and self-esteem (II).................................................................221
Session 3: Impulsivity (I)..............................................................................................226
Session 4: Impulsivity (II).............................................................................................230
Session 5: Sensations seeking (I)..................................................................................234
Session 6: Sensations seeking (II).................................................................................238
MODULE VII.
RELAPSE PREVENTION AND STRENGTHENING OF CHANGE..................242
Session 1: Relapse prevention: assessment...................................................................246
Session 2: Relapse prevention: intervention..................................................................252
Session 3: Getting to know myself better......................................................................256
Session 4: How to foster a lifestyle alternative to aggression and violence..................263
BIBLIOGRAPHY........................................................................................................269
1. INTRODUCTION
This Educational and Therapeutic Intervention Programme for Young Offenders arises
from the interest of Community of Madrids Agency for the Re-education and
Reintegration of Young Offenders in advancing towards more effective intervention
during the implementation of judicial measures.
The offending behaviour of young people is a concern for institutions dedicated both to
the implementation of justice and to the education and psychological development of
young people, which gives rise to the need to explain the causes of deviant behaviour, to
design and implement precautionary and intervention measures, and to carry out the
assessment of the results obtained from the implementation of such measures.
At a theoretical level, many theories from different fields of knowledge have been
developed to understand offending behaviour, with psychology of crime being one of
the most fruitful areas of study both in explaining these behaviours and in developing
assessment tools and intervention programmes that have proved effective (AndrsPueyo and Redondo, 2004; Andrews and Bonta, 2006; Dowden and Andrews, 2000;
Garrido, 2005; Redondo, 2007).
Thus, Banduras social learning theory (1987) is currently considered as the most
complete explanation of criminal behaviour, being applied to the field of crime by
Akers (2006; Akers and Sellers, 2004), who considers that the learning of criminal
behaviour involves four interrelated mechanisms: 1) differential association with people
who show criminal habits and attitudes, 2) acquisition by the individual of definitions
favourable to crime, 3) differential reinforcement of criminal behaviours, and 4)
imitation of pro-criminal models.
Another of the most important advances in this field was proposed and developed by
Farrington (1996), who formulated a psychological theory about criminal careers,
characterized by two fundamental factors such as a young persons level of social
deviance and the capacity to make the decision to commit an antisocial/criminal act.
The tendency towards social deviance is characterized by three fundamental processes:
1) energizing processes, among which are the desire for material goods, excitement and
social status (more intense in deprived young people because of their greater
deprivation), frustration and stress, and possible alcohol consumption, 2) processes that
give the behaviour an antisocial directionality as a means of obtaining rewards, and 3)
acquisition of mechanisms of inhibition that reduce the likelihood of developing
antisocial behaviour. These inhibitions would be, above all, the result of a proper childrearing process not influenced by risk factors such as high impulsivity, low intelligence
or contact with criminal models.
Therefore, according to the theories above, the decision taken by young people to
offend will depend on the opportunities they have to do it, once they have automated the
process of assessing the costs and benefits they will get from the offence, which will be
reinforced by the consequences of its commission.
More operatively, we could consider that juvenile delinquency has been characterized
by the study of various factors of an individual nature such as the personality
characteristics of the adolescent and the configuration of his or her emotional and belief
system. Other important variables have a social and contextual nature, such as the
influence of the family, the peer group, the school and community framework, which
influence the process of individual development and socialization of the young person.
An adequate personal and social adjustment requires the ability to successfully meet the
demands of the personal and social environment in which an adolescent develops. Thus,
if young people show limited skill to properly handle conflict situations in their daily
lives, they will be less capable of identifying problems that may arise, building
alternative responses to stressful events, establishing cause and effect relations in their
own actions and those of other people, calculating the consequences of their behaviours
both for themselves and for others, setting the intermediate steps in problem solving and
understanding other peoples behaviour.
1.1. EDUCATIONAL AND THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION
In the framework of psychological intervention with offenders, one of the most
important approaches today is the one proposed by Andrews and Bonta (2006) through
the Risk-Needs-Responsivity model. This model is oriented towards psychological
applications in prevention and treatment of delinquency and sets out three main
principles: 1) the risk principle, which states that individuals with higher risk in static
factors have a lower level of modifiability (criminal precocity, impulsivity, antisocial
tendency) as compared to dynamic factors, which can be modified more easily (system
of beliefs, antisocial habits, drug use, peer group influence); 2) the need principle,
which states that the dynamic risk factors directly linked to criminal activity (such as
criminal habits, cognitions and attitudes) should be the real objectives of intervention
programmes; and 3) the individualization principle, which warns about the need to
properly adjust interventions to the personal and situational characteristics of the
individuals (motivation and adjustment of the intervention techniques to their personal
situation).
In this manual, the model developed by Andrews and Bonta (2006) is used as a frame of
reference for the development of the protocol of therapeutic and educational
intervention aimed at changing attitudes and beliefs that justify violence and negative
emotions associated with it, together with the modification of aggressive habits that lead
to the commission of a criminal act. However, psychological intervention is directly
related to the assessment of the risk of reoffending and the identification of needs that
must be established as objectives for treatment within the youth justice system (Garrido,
Lpez, Silva, Lpez and Molina, 2006).
Thus, the risk of reoffending and the intervention or treatment are conceptually linked.
The former is one of the most important objectives a youth justice system works for,
while the latter refers to personal and social changes to be undertaken by a young
offender to reintegrate into society. Both concepts are interdependent, as the most
important criterion to determine the progress of a young person in an intervention
programme is precisely the significant decrease in the risk of reoffending (Graa,
Garrido and Gonzlez, 2008).
Intervention programmes for antisocial behaviour that have a cognitive-behavioural
approach adopt strategies for change based on the paradigm of social competence,
which includes, in particular, strategies that seek to change the way adolescents think,
feel and act (Andrews & Bonta, 2006; Garrido, 1993; Garrido, 2005). Nowadays, we
have a significant body of empirical information that guides us on what the
characteristics of the programmes that have greater therapeutic success are.
In a meta-analytic study conducted by Landerberger and Lipsey (2005) about the
positive effects of cognitive-behavioural programmes for the re-education and
reintegration of young offenders, the results indicate that factors associated with a
significant decrease in reoffending were the systematic action towards the system of
beliefs justifying criminal behaviour and the development of intervention strategies to
manage negative emotions like anger.
These data, together with those of other studies, have led to a consensus as to the
characteristics that treatment programmes for antisocial behaviour based on evidence
must have (Becedniz and Rodrguez, 2004; FitzGerald, Stevens and Hales, 2004;
Garrido, Stangeland and Redondo, 2006; Hollin, 2006; McGuire, 2006; Redondo,
1994). These characteristics are the following:
a) The personal and social deficits of the adolescent must be dealt with, and a detailed
analysis of the cognitive, affective and behavioural abilities, as well as the form of
change, must be carried out.
b) A methodology of cognitive-behavioural intervention with a structured format and
clear criteria for assessing the intervention must be followed.
c) Intervention programmes must use standardized procedures for the modification of
deviant cognitions and behaviours by focusing on the learning of skills necessary for the
resolution of conflict situations and the adoption of strategies aimed at improving the
quality of life for these young people.
d) The therapeutic intervention must be multidimensional and have a broad spectrum.
e) The treatment programmes must have a multi-modal approach characterized by the
use of appropriate intervention techniques to achieve the desired change.
In conclusion, we could say that the criminological model of social deviance in young
people requires that the assessment and intervention with young offenders should not be
separated from the task of determining the level of risk of continuing with the criminal
career and, therefore, the needs that must be established as objectives for treatment
within the youth justice system should be specified (Garrido, Lpez, Silva, Lpez and
Molina, 2006), adjusting intervention programmes to risk factors related to crime
(Graa, Garrido and Gonzlez, 2008).
1.2. CENTRAL EDUCATIONAL AND THERAPEUTIC PROGRAMME
The reality of the current Law regulating the Criminal Responsibility of Minors requires
the use of appropriate methods to assess the resources and risks of each young person
and intervention programmes with greater assurance of effectiveness. This project
involves the structured development of a central educational and therapeutic programme
for young offenders, following a cognitive-behavioural methodology.
The carrying out of this treatment programme starts from a study of needs conducted by
Community of Madrids Agency for the Re-education and Reintegration of Young
Offenders in 2005 and 2006, included in the book Reoffending in Young Offenders in
the Community of Madrid (Graa, Garrido and Gonzlez, 2008). The results of this
research show that the use of the Management and Intervention Inventory for Young
People (IGI-J), adapted to Spanish by Garrido et al. (2006) from the original test
Youth Level of Service -YLS-, developed by Hoge and Andrews (2003), has
psychometric properties that are adequate to be used with young offenders.
This instrument consists of 42 items grouped into eight risk factors or criminogenic
needs: 1) past and present offences and sentences; 2) educational guidelines; 3) formal
education/employment; 4) relationship with the peer group; 5) substance misuse; 6)
leisure/hobbies; 7) personality/behaviour; 8) attitudes, values and beliefs. This test
classifies young offenders into three levels of reoffending risk (low, medium and high)
for each of the risk factors assessed and also provides a level of risk for relapse in
general. This test has proved effective for assessing the dynamic risk factors that can be
the object of educational and therapeutic intervention in young offenders (Graa et al,
2008).
Therefore, the IGF-J is an instrument designed to predict reoffending and to determine
the objectives of educational and therapeutic intervention that must be considered
during the implementation of judicial measures. The eight scales that make up this
inventory include both static and dynamic risk elements, the latter of which, defined as
criminogenic needs, must be considered in a later step as targets for intervention with
the young offender. After assessing the eight risk areas, the professional must establish
one or several hypotheses to clarify, in his or her opinion, what mechanisms explain the
antisocial activity of the young person and, based on this hypothesis, he or she will have
to suggest two, three or four risk areas as objectives to be achieved during the
implementation of the measure.
The results show that the risk factors that predict reoffending are: 1) past and present
offences and sentences, 2) substance misuse, and 3) personality/behaviour. We consider
that all the young people in the study, regardless of the risk of reoffending, have deviant
attitudes, values and beliefs. Considering these results, through this project, we propose
the development of a central programme aimed at changing attitudes and beliefs that
justify violence and negative emotions associated with it (e.g. anger and hostility), as
well as the aggressive habits that lead to the commission of a criminal act, taking into
account the role of other personality variables that foster such behaviour. This
programme will be the cornerstone to reduce reoffending and to help ensure the reeducation and reintegration of young offenders. It is advisable to apply, along with the
central programme developed here, other supplementary programmes (for example, a
programme for interaction skills and social problem solving, a programme for substance
misuse, a programme for leisure time management and a programme of moral
reasoning) that will help to strengthen the change needed to overcome social deviance.
Table 1 below shows the overall structure of the central educational and therapeutic
programme for young offenders. The general objectives for intervention in each of the
modules are listed and specified in Table 2.
Table 1.
MODULES AND SESSIONS OF THE CENTRAL EDUCATIONAL AND
THERAPEUTIC PROGRAMME
Module I. Characterization of criminal behaviour
Session 1: Assessment of criminal behaviour
Session 2: Characteristics of criminal behaviour
Session 3: Functional analysis of criminal behaviour
Session 4: Motivation for criminal behaviour
Session 5: Motivation for change
Module II. Emotions involved in aggression
Session 1: Recognition of emotions and their influence on aggression
Session 2: Practicing positive emotions: the role of empathy
Session 3: Anxiety and its influence on aggression
Session 4: Management of anxiety
Module III. Control of negative emotions
Session 1: Anger and aggressive behaviour: assessment (I)
Session 2: Anger and aggressive behaviour: assessment (II)
Session 3: Strategies for anger management
Session 4: Practicing strategies for managing anger (I)
Session 5: Practicing strategies for managing anger (II)
Module IV. Beliefs that sustain criminal behaviour
Session 1: The influence of thoughts on behaviour
Session 2: Assessment of distorted thoughts
Session 3: Consequences of distorted thoughts
Session 4: Modification of distorted thoughts (I)
Session 5: Modification of distorted thoughts (II)
Module V. Modification of aggressive habits
Session 1: Characterization of aggressive behaviour: acquisition and development
Session 2: Characterization of aggressive behaviour: maintenance
Session 3: Breaking the habit of aggressive behaviour (I)
Session 4: Breaking the habit of aggressive behaviour (II)
Module VI. Personality and its influence on social deviance
Session 1: Self-concept and self-esteem (I)
Session 2: Self-concept and self-esteem (II)
Session 3: Impulsivity (I)
Session 4: Impulsivity (II)
Session 5: Sensations seeking (I)
Session 6: Sensations seeking (II)
Module VII. Relapse prevention and strengthening of change
Session 1: Relapse prevention: assessment
Session 2: Relapse prevention: intervention
Session 3: Getting to know myself better
Session 4: How to foster a lifestyle alternative to aggression and violence
Table 2.
GENERAL OBJECTIVES OF THE CENTRAL PROGRAMME
MODULES
Module I.
Characterization of
criminal behaviour
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
- To become aware of the aggressive and violent episodes related to the
criminal acts committed by the young person.
- To take personal responsibility in the change in habits.
Module V. Modification of
aggressive habits
- To analyze the possible factors that may lead to relapse and learn how
to prevent them.
- To enhance the construction of a lifestyle alternative to aggression and
violence through a proper understanding and assessment of oneself and
fostering the achievement of personal and social goals and objectives
alternative to crime.
thing, containing expectations about how to think or act. Social deviance would not only
constitute something unusual, but would also present negative, reprehensible or
punishable connotations for at least part of the members of a social structure. Higgins
and Butler (1982) expressed this idea in their definition of deviance as those
behaviours, ideas or attributes that offend (upset or disturb) members of society (though
not necessarily all of them).
Therefore, antisocial behaviour refers to a variety of acts that violate social norms and
the rights of others. Antisocial behaviours include a wide range of activities such as
aggressive acts, theft, vandalism, arson, lying, truancy and running away from home,
among others. Although these behaviours are different, they are often related and may
occur together (Kazdin and Buela-Casal, 2002). Of course, all these behaviours involve
the violation of rules and social expectations. In addition, they are against the social
environment, including property and people. The characteristics of antisocial behaviour
(frequency, intensity, seriousness, duration, meaning, topography and chronification),
which may even require medical attention, are directly related to the world of law and
justice. Here, various socio-legal terms such as delinquency, offence and/or criminality
(Pea and Graa, 2006) come into play.
Delinquency as a social phenomenon involves a legal designation normally based on the
official contact with justice. Criminal behaviour (also known as offending or delinquent
behaviour) could be conceptualized as a form of deviance, as an act prohibited by the
penal laws of society. That is, there must be a law prior to the commission of an
offending act that prohibits such behaviour. It has to be a penal law, and the person
responsible must be subjected to the authority of the Courts of Justice.
Therefore, the juvenile delinquent or offender is a sociocultural construction, because
the definition and legal treatment respond to different factors in different countries,
reflecting a mix of psychological and legal concepts. Technically, a young offender is a
person below the age of criminal responsibility who commits an act punishable by law.
For this reason, society does not impose a punishment, but a measure that helps reform
the person, as he or she is considered to lack the capacity of discernment when faced
with legal or illegal ways of acting.
From a legal perspective, the concepts of crime, offence and delinquent (or
offender) are par excellence the main elements in criminological discourse. An
offence is conceived, under this approach, as an act which violates the penal law in a
society, while the offender is the person that the justice system has prosecuted and
charged with the commission of an offence. The term juvenile delinquency commonly
refers to those people who commit an act prohibited by law and are below the age of
criminal responsibility, as established by a countrys law (Garrido, 1987).
From a clinical approach, antisocial behaviour has been considered as an important
component of various mental and/or personality disorders. Thus, the disorders that have
attracted greater interest in recent times within the study of non-normative behaviours
are conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder and antisocial personality disorder
(APA, 2002). Conduct disorder is included in what the DSM calls Disorders Usually
First Diagnosed in Infancy, Childhood, or Adolescence. In particular, this diagnostic
category applies primarily to individuals under 18 years of age who show relatively
persistent patterns of behaviour in which the basic rights of others or major ageappropriate societal norms or rules are violated. Among the diagnostic criteria specified
by the DSM in its latest editions, we find behaviours such as theft, aggression,
destruction of property, use of weapons and violations of rules imposed by parents or
teachers.
As pointed out by Blackburn (1993) and Farrington (1993), the constellation of
behaviours that define conduct disorder ultimately presents great conceptual
proximity to what in other contexts has been included under the term delinquency, and,
in particular, juvenile delinquency. However, it should also be noted that the diagnosis
of this disorder requires that the pattern of antisocial behaviours present a certain
seriousness. In fact, the DSM-IV added a criterion stating that the category conduct
disorder can only be applied when non-normative behaviour causes clinically
significant impairment in the individuals social, academic or occupational functioning.
Oppositional defiant disorder, also included in the group Disorders Usually First
Diagnosed in Infancy, Childhood, or Adolescence together with conduct disorder, is
characterized, according to the DSM-IV-TR, by presenting a recurring pattern of
negativistic, defiant, disobedient and hostile behaviour towards authority figures which
persists for at least six months. Some of these behaviours are: losing temper, arguing
with adults, actively defying or refusing to comply with adults requests or rules,
deliberately annoying others, blaming others for ones mistakes or misbehaviour, being
touchy or easily annoyed by others, being angry and resentful, being spiteful or
vindictive. For such behaviours to be considered as disorders, they must occur more
frequently than is typically observed in individuals of comparable age and
developmental level. In addition, they must cause significant impairment in social,
academic or occupational functioning (APA, 2002).
Antisocial personality disorder is another category of the DSM in which antisocial
behaviours acquire a defining character. According to the DSM-IV-TR, the essential
characteristic of this disorder would be a pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation
of the rights of others, which would begin in childhood or adolescence and would
persist in adulthood. The category can be applied to adults with a history of conduct
disorder before 15 years of age and with antisocial and irresponsible patterns of
behaviour from that age on. According to these diagnostic criteria, such behavioural
patterns would include: failure to conform to social and legal norms, as indicated by
performing acts that are grounds for arrest; manifestations of irritability and
aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults; failure to fulfil
financial or professional obligations; lack of remorse (APA, 2002).
As can be seen, many of these disorders involve the development of antisocial and/or
criminal behaviour, but are in no way synonymous with crime. Different objections
could be raised to justify the fact that these disorders and delinquency are not put on the
same terminological level. Among other reasons, for example, the criteria for diagnosis
depend on many behaviours that do not involve breaking the law; in turn, many
individuals who are convicted do not meet the operational criteria for a diagnosis of
mental disorder.
From a behavioural approach (Kazdin, 1988), the concept of antisocial behaviour
includes clinically significant behaviours, strictly criminal behaviours, and a wide range
of non-normative behaviours which, while not illegal, are considered harmful or
detrimental to society and give rise to processes of sanction within the social system.
Going beyond the limits of the clinical or legal conception of crime, making room for
with the aim of assessing the participants therapeutic progress. Where necessary,
important aspects should also be dealt with in an individual setting, so that, if a
participant gets stuck in the programme, he or she can be helped more easily to catch up
with the other members of the group.
Professionals who can develop and implement the intervention described in this
programme may be psychologists, social workers or educators, all of them regular
workers of the centre where it will be developed, as the continuity of the staff that
implement it is regarded as a significant aspect, especially in the sense of constituting a
benchmark for the intervention group. It is important that the Education Team,
especially the educator-tutor, carry out support functions and reinforcement in its
implementation, guiding the young people in the individual tasks to be undertaken
between one session and the next, and reinforcing and recognizing the individual effort
they are making to get involved and to gradually assimilate the contents of the
programme. Therefore, the Education Team must receive weekly information by the
therapists that develop the intervention on the progress of the treatment, both from a
group and individual perspective. That is, two therapeutic paces must be handled: the
group pace and the pace of each of its members. Both are important, and when problems
arise, the necessary adjustments must be made in order for both to integrate and give
meaning to the educational and therapeutic intervention that is being delivered.
Two manuals have been designed for the implementation of the programme: one for the
therapist/practitioner and the other for the participants. Both of them include the
contents and activities to be covered in each of the sessions.
The therapist/practitioners manual consists of modules comprising several sessions.
Each module begins with a theoretical justification and the establishment of a series of
objectives. Each session of the programme has a similar structure to facilitate
implementation and the participants understanding. All of them consist of the
following sections:
Specific objectives: the specific goals to be achieved through the session work are
presented in a concise outline.
Method and contents: this section explains, very briefly and in general, the
methodology to be used in order to achieve the objectives established, specifying a
number of observations about the way the work session should be developed and the
relationship between the activities that will be carried out.
Key concepts: the concepts that are considered essential in each of the sessions of
the programme, or those that may clarify the meaning or provide relevant information
about specific contents of the session, are defined or explained.
Material: list of didactic resources and materials that will facilitate or will be
required for the proper development of the session.
Activities: list of activities and exercises to be carried out during the session.
Development of the session: in this section, the way in which the therapist can
deliver the session is described in a detailed and thorough way.
Each session includes the material needed to complete the paper and pencil activities, as
well as the relevant information for their implementation and assimilation by the
participant. When appropriate (e.g. if there are problems with verbal or written
expression), the therapist/practitioner may replace the activities proposed in each of the
sessions with other complementary or different activities, or combine the ones proposed
to better fit the implementation conditions in each therapeutic group. The way the
programme is implemented may also be modified, for example, by carrying out a paper
and pencil activity in the form of role playing or behaviour rehearsal, or illustrating its
content with the viewing of a film or part thereof. This change has to fit better the
conditions of each group but, in general, it should not involve changing the contents of
the programme. The most important thing is to be constant in achieving the objectives
established, regardless of the methods used.
The participants manual is attached as a CD-ROM at the end of the book, along with
the worksheets to be used in each of the sessions that make up the different modules of
the programme.
In short, general recommendations for the implementation of the programme are:
1. Supplementary activities are optional; they will be done when the practitioner deems
appropriate. Another alternative is to use them as a review of the contents of the
previous session.
2. Examples: the most appropriate examples for the group may be used; if one example
is enough for the participants to understand the concepts discussed, the rest of the
examples might not be necessary.
3. Theoretical information: it may be reduced or extended when necessary. The theory
included is for the practitioner, who will have to adapt the concepts to the characteristics
and skills of the participants.
4. Beginning of the session: at the beginning of each session, it is advisable to briefly
summarize what was seen in the previous session. This is made easier by answering the
assessment questions included at the end of each session.
5. Sessions may be broken down into several sessions, so that more time is devoted to
their implementation, if required by the characteristics of the group. Several sessions
can also be grouped together, properly connecting the suggested activities.
1.3.3. Therapeutic skills for the implementation of the programme
The successful implementation of the programme is closely related to how it is
implemented. The therapist/practitioner must create a climate of collaboration with the
young person by adopting a motivational position that enables the gradual achievement
of the objectives of the programme, so it is important to provide a number of
recommendations for the implementation of the educational and therapeutic
programme:
1) The motivation for change must be generated by the young person himself/herself
and not imposed by the therapist/practitioner. The aim is to identify and mobilize the
young persons objectives of change and make them compatible with the ones proposed
by the programme.
2) The young person must be helped to resolve the ambivalence that will emerge
throughout the implementation of the programme, as change is a gradual process and he
or she often has many highs and lows. The therapist/practitioner must help the young
person to accept them and internalize them as a process that will favour change.
3) Adopting a very directive method for change does not normally work, so it is much
better to help the young person to consider the importance of changing by carrying out a
cost-benefit analysis.
4) The therapeutic style should be Socratic, and it should help the young people to
generate change through the use of strategies for information, active listening and
properly asking relevant questions to help them think about the objectives that are being
analyzed at every moment. Direct persuasion, aggressive confrontation or arguing with
the young person must not take place. More aggressive strategies, used to confront the
young peoples denial, may lead the practitioner to push the participants to make
changes for which they are not prepared yet.
5) The therapist/practitioner must take a directive role to help the participants to
examine and resolve their own ambivalence. Specific strategies to be adopted should be
aimed at eliciting, clarifying and resolving the ambivalence (changing vs. not changing)
in a therapeutic atmosphere of respect.
6) A young offenders preparation for change is the result of interpersonal interaction
between the young person, the group and the therapist/practitioner. If the young person
is highly resistant to change, it means that the therapist/practitioner is assuming that he
or she is ready to assimilate the contents of a particular session and to progress in the
implementation of the programme, when in fact he or she is not. So it is important to
consider that each participant or therapeutic group has a particular pace in the
implementation of the programme, and the progress from one session to the next must
never be forced if the young person or the group show signs of resistance. In this case,
the time necessary must be devoted for the assimilation of the specific contents that are
being addressed at a given point throughout the implementation of the programme.
1.3.4. Form for the assessment of educational and therapeutic progress
This educational and therapeutic treatment programme complies with the educational
nature of the judicial measures imposed on young people. At the same time, it also
focuses on the legal content of these measures, mainly by reducing reoffending. We
must not forget that, from the young persons personal point of view, judicial measures
have a function aiming at re-education and social reintegration.
The implementation of this manual is aimed at relating the judicial measures by
adapting them to the criminological and psychosocial characteristics of the young
person in order to adjust its implementation to reduce reoffending, as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1.
DIAGRAM OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JUDICIAL MEASURES
AND THE INTERVENTION PROGRAMME IN ORDER TO REDUCE
REOFFENDING.
JUDICIAL MEASURE(S)
RELATE
REDUCE
REOFFENDING
With the aim of assessing the participation of each young person in the treatment
programme, it is important for the therapist/practitioner to assess, after the
implementation of each session, the work each of them has done regarding the
therapeutic contents included in each session, and how they have assimilated and
internalized such contents (see Table 3). Through this individualized monitoring of the
young peoples assimilation of the treatment programme, we are assessing their
involvement in it. This will enable us to carry out as many individual reinforcement
sessions as necessary, so that the therapeutic pace of the group is appropriate and not
delayed by the behaviour of one of its members. In Table 3, in the observations column,
we can specify the aspects that we will have to work on with the young person if the
assimilation of educational and therapeutic contents is not adequate. As a last resort,
participants stagnated in their educational and therapeutic development may be taken
out of the group, so as to enable the rest of its members to successfully complete the
programme.
Table 3.
ASSESSMENT OF EACH PARTICIPANTS PROGRESS DURING THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TREATMENT PROGRAMME
PARTICIPANTS NAME OR CODE:
MODULES
SESSIONS
Module I.
Characterization
of criminal
behaviour
Session 1: Assessment of
criminal behaviour
Session 2: Characteristics of
criminal behaviour
Session 3: Functional analysis
of criminal behaviour
Session 4: Motivation for
criminal behaviour
Session 5: Motivation for
change
Session 1: Recognition of
emotions and their influence on
aggression
Session 2: Practicing positive
emotions: the role of empathy
Session 3: Anxiety and its
influence on aggression
Session 4: Management of
anxiety
Session 1: Anger and aggressive
behaviour: assessment (I)
Session 2: Anger and aggressive
behaviour: assessment (II)
Session 3: Strategies for anger
management
Session 4: Practicing strategies
for managing anger (I)
Session 5: Practicing strategies
for managing anger (II)
Session 1: The influence of
thoughts on behaviour
Module II.
Emotions
involved in
aggression
Module III.
Control of
negative
emotions
Module IV.
Beliefs that
sustain criminal
behaviour
Module V.
Modification of
aggressive habits
Session 2: Assessment of
distorted thoughts
Session 3: Consequences of
distorted thoughts
Session 4: Modification of
distorted thoughts (I)
Session 5: Modification of
distorted thoughts (II)
Session 1: Characterization of
aggressive behaviour:
acquisition and development
Session 2: Characterization of
aggressive behaviour:
maintenance
Session 3: Breaking the habit of
aggressive behaviour (I)
Session 4: Breaking the habit of
aggressive behaviour (II)
Date of
session
Work
done
[0-10]
Assimilation
of contents
[0-10]
Observations
Module VI.
Personality and
its influence on
social deviance
Module VII.
Relapse
prevention and
strengthening of
change
FINAL SCORE
MODULE I
Characterization of
criminal behaviour
The activity can be introduced as follows: the sheet we are going to hand out includes
a series of questions about yourselves, your life and the events for which you are in the
centre. You must be honest in your answers, since we are the only people who will have
access to the information you write on the sheet. If you have any doubts, please dont
hesitate to ask. In the case of participants under precautionary measures, we must
explain that they will have to answer the questions in terms of alleged facts or alleged
offence, while also making reference to other previous antisocial/offending behaviours
they have been punished for.
Sheet 1.1.1.
PERSONAL INTERVIEW [LONG VERSION]
Practitioner:
Date:
Centre:
Personal data
- First name and surname:
- Age:
- Birth date:
- Nationality:
- Level of education:
- Profession:
Relational data
- How many friends do you have?
- In what contexts do you mix with them? (neighbourhood, school, associations, etc.).
- What is your relationship with them like?
- What would you like to change about your friendships?
- Do you have friends in the centre?
No why?
Yes how many?
- What interests you the most in your relationship with them?
Medical history
- Have you ever had any significant illnesses? What illnesses?
- What about injuries or blows?
- Have you had any operations or surgery?
- Have you ever gone to a psychologist/psychiatrist?
No
Yes Why?
- Have you received any treatment or medication?
No
Yes What treatment/medication?
Why?
How long?
Results?
General problems and concerns
- Do you have any problems or concerns at present? (family, friends, partner, work, leisure...)
No
Yes Which one(s) and with whom?
- Out of these problems, which one worries you the most? Why?
- Have you ever run away from home?
No
Yes When and why?
- Have you been involved in any kind of trouble with other people?
No
Yes With whom and why?
- Have you previously had trouble with the law?
No
Yes What trouble?
Sheet 1.1.2.
PERSONAL INTERVIEW [SHORTENED VERSION]
Practitioner:
Date:
Centre:
Personal Data
- First name and surname:
- Age:
- Birth date:
- Nationality:
- Level of education:
- Profession:
Medical history
- Have you ever had any significant illness? What illnesses?
- What about injuries or blows?
- Have you had any operations or surgery?
- Have you ever gone to a psychologist/psychiatrist?
No
Yes Why?
- Have you received any treatment or medication?
No
Yes Which?
Why?
How long?
Results?
Current criminal and legal status
- Acts you are charged with:
- Legal status (precautionary or final):
If you have been accused, point out:
- Sentence:
- Time served:
- Previous or pending cases:
- Previous young offender centres:
- Current centre:
- Disciplinary misdemeanours / rewards:
Antecedents before the events
- What was your life like before the events occurred? (personal, relations, school, work, leisure...)
- Did any important (stressful) event take place before committing the act? What event? What connection
do you think that event has with the act?
- Do you think that if your life had been different in some respect, your antisocial/offending behaviour
would have been influenced by that difference?
- What was the day of the event like? (who were you with?, where were you?, what were you doing?,
what did you feel?, what did you think about?, etc.).
- Do you think that if something different had happened that day, that difference could have prevented
you from exhibiting that behaviour?
Behaviour during the events and immediate consequences
- What other people participated in the events? (victim, colleagues, witnesses, security forces, etc.). What
After the explanation, we clear up any possible doubts and check that the participants
have understood the definitions given.
The answer key for the questionnaire is the following:
- Physical aggression: the sum of the scores of items 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 26, 28.
- Verbal aggression: the sum of the scores of items 2, 6, 10, 14, 18.
- Proactive aggression: the sum of the scores of 3, 4, 8, 11, 15, 20, 22, 25.
- Reactive aggression: the sum of the scores of 7, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 27, 29.
Once the questionnaire has been completed, the participants must check it and prepare
their offending behaviour profile by including their score on each scale, as well as the
maximum and minimum score, in the chart on Sheet 1.1.4. My profile. Then, the
results obtained by each participant will be discussed.
If necessary, this activity could be done in another session.
Sheet 1.1.3.
QUESTIONNAIRE
Instructions: Below are a series of statements about ways of thinking, feeling or acting. Read them carefully
and decide whether you agree or disagree with each of them. Circle the alternative that you think best
matches your way of thinking or feeling, according to this scale:
5
4
3
2
1
Quite FALSE for Neither TRUE nor Quite TRUE for Completely
Completely
TRUE for me
me
FALSE for me
me
FALSE for me
1. Occasionally, I cannot control the urge to hit another person
1 2 3 4 5
2. When I disagree with my friends, I argue with them openly
1 2 3 4 5
3. I have had fights with others to show that I was superior
1 2 3 4 5
4. I have broken things for fun
1 2 3 4 5
5. If somebody provokes me enough, I can hit them
1 2 3 4 5
6. I do not agree with people often
1 2 3 4 5
7. I have shouted at others when they have annoyed me or upset me
1 2 3 4 5
8. I have participated in gang fights to feel valued or cool
1 2 3 4 5
9. If someone hits me, I respond by hitting them back
1 2 3 4 5
10. When people annoy me, I argue with them
1 2 3 4 5
11. I have used physical force to get others to do what I wanted
1 2 3 4 5
12. I have been upset or angry when I have lost in a game
1 2 3 4 5
13. I usually get involved in fights more than what is normal
1 2 3 4 5
14. When people disagree with me, I cannot help arguing with them
1 2 3 4 5
15. I have used force to obtain money or other things
1 2 3 4 5
16. I have felt good after hitting someone or shouting at them
1 2 3 4 5
17. If I have to resort to violence to protect my rights, I do
1 2 3 4 5
18. My friends say that I argue a lot
1 2 3 4 5
19. I have hit others to defend myself
1 2 3 4 5
20. I have carried weapons for using them in fights
1 2 3 4 5
21. There are people who provoke me so much that we get in a fight
1 2 3 4 5
22. I have shouted at others to take advantage of them
1 2 3 4 5
23. I have reacted angrily when others have provoked me
1 2 3 4 5
24. I have led others to turn against someone
1 2 3 4 5
25. I have been upset or angry when I havent got my own way
1 2 3 4 5
26. I have threatened people I know
1 2 3 4 5
27. I have been angry when others have threatened me
1 2 3 4 5
28. I have been so angry that I have broken things
1 2 3 4 5
29. I have broken things because I was feeling angry
1 2 3 4 5
Sheet 1.1.4.
MY PROFILE
Minimum
Maximum
Average
45
40
40
40
40
35
30
25
25
20
20
20
20
13
15
10
5
5
0
Physical
Verbal
Proactive
Reactive
MODERATE
HIGH
VERY HIGH
3. SESSION
BEHAVIOUR
2:
CHARACTERISTICS
OF
CRIMINAL
Next, a discussion follows about how to prepare a new project, and the participants, as
a group, suggest rules for its development. The practitioner takes part in the group
dynamics, but without following the rules agreed by the participants. The intention here
is to try to reflect on how the way each member of the group behaves affects the final
result of the project that has been agreed by all. In addition, this way of acting can be
analysed in order to emphasize the importance of individual behaviour within a group.
3.6.2. Activity 2: What do you think?
In this activity the participants offer their personal point of view on what
antisocial/criminal behaviour is. The practitioner gives the following explanation: now
that we have seen the importance of rules to guide our behaviour, we will check your
understanding of what is considered antisocial and/or offending behaviour?.
The participants are allowed to provide ideas, and the important concepts concerning
the issue raised are written on the board. Then, they fill in Sheet 1.2.2.
Questionnaire, which involves answering a short questionnaire about norms and
laws. It can be done individually, with each participant writing the answers, or, if
necessary, through a group discussion. In either of the two forms, the practitioner must
summarize the most appropriate answers that have come up from the work done by the
group, and each participant will be asked to complete the questionnaire.
Sheet 1.2.2.
QUESTIONNAIRE
Instructions: answer the following questions about norms and laws
- What is a norm?
- What is it useful for?
- Who establishes them?
- What types of norms are there?
- What do Criminal Laws involve?
- What is an offence?
- What is a judicial measure?
- Give three examples of antisocial/offending behaviour:
1.
2.
3.
After writing the definitions provided by the participants on the board, they are given a
brief information sheet (Sheet 1.2.3. Definitions) to be read aloud. Finally, a
discussion follows about the concepts explained, applying them to each specific case.
At the end of the session, on Sheet 1.2.6. Summarized information for the
practitioner, the practitioner has supplementary material to manage the discussion and
to clear up any doubts that may arise.
Once Sheet 1.2.3. Definitions has been read, a discussion follows about its contents.
Then, the participants are asked to give personal examples of their own specific
behaviours related to each of the concepts. Finally, a summary of the most important
opinions and their connection with the law of criminal responsibility of minors is given.
Sheet 1.2.3.
DEFINITIONS
Offence
Antisocial behaviour
Judicial measure
Norms
Laws
Type of offence
Misdemeanour/offence
Sheet 1.2.6.
SUMMARIZED INFORMATION FOR THE PRACTITIONER
Norms are a model, a pattern, an example or a criterion to follow. They are rules established for
adequate functioning in a given context. We can talk about social, legal, religious, group, community,
moral or ethical norms, depending on the context in which a given behaviour is analysed. Considering
this context, norms may also be established explicitly (legal, religious, ethical norms) or implicitly
(group, community, moral norms). In law, a norm is a rule or regulation of behaviour issued by the
competent authority; breaking a norm entails a sanction that is known as penalty. When such norms are
officially established by the legislative branch, they are called laws.
Behaviours involving violation of the law are referred to as non-normative, antisocial or criminal (or
offending). Laws that criminalize such behaviours are known as Criminal Laws (or Penal Laws),
contained within the Spanish Penal Code. Behaviours considered as non-normative can be offences -or
crimes- (more serious) or misdemeanours (less serious).
The law that regulates the criminal behaviour of minors is known as the Organic Law regulating the
Criminal Responsibility of Minors (OL 5/2000, as amended by OL 8/2006, of December 4th). This law
applies to young people between the ages of 14 and 18, and it establishes judicial measures depending on
the commission of offences or misdemeanours and their categorization. The sentences included in this
law range from the withdrawal of the driving licence, or the right to get it, to being placed in custody or a
treatment programme in a young offender institution.
QUESTIONS
this problem
Given that Peter has some difficulties in his life,
do you think he is an offender? Why?
SELF-REPORT
ON
BEHAVIOUR
ANTISOCIAL/OFFENDING
TYPE
Violation of norm or violation
of law?
must give each participant a score from 0 to 10, considering the following criteria:
a) work done and b) assimilation and internalization of the concepts discussed.
3.6.7. Assessment questions
1. A society or group of people could function successfully without the existence of
social or group norms (FALSE).
2. When a norm is broken, a law is broken (FALSE).
3. The person who offends will suffer consequences on a personal level, but also on a
group, family, etc. level (TRUE).
In addition, all criminal acts are always preceded by one or more situations that will
make a criminal act more likely to be committed. This component of functional analysis
will be called antecedents. Finally, antisocial/offending behaviour has a series of
short and long-term consequences (see Table 1.3.2. Antecedents and consequences of
an antisocial/criminal act).
Table 1.3.2.
ANTECEDENTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF AN ANTISOCIAL/CRIMINAL
ACT
ANTECEDENTS CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR CONSEQUENCES
Example:
Having withdrawal symptoms and no money to buy ROBBERY WITH VIOLENCE
Short-term: satisfaction at getting the money; long-term: personal and social impairment due to
consumption and a trial for robbery.
Sheet 1.3.1.
FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS OF ALEJANDROS BEHAVIOUR
Instructions: analyse Alejandros behaviour
SITUATION
THOUGHTS
EMOTIONS
In a metro train, Take the wallet, she Somewhat
when it was is not going to nervous
close to the next notice,
she
is
station.
making things easy.
BEHAVIOUR
He reached into
the womans bag
and took her
wallet.
CONSEQUENCES
Short-term: he felt a
relief, this time I have
escaped.
He got nervous when
the security guard
approached him and
stopped him, and he
thought shit, Ive
messed up again!.
Long-term:
Continue with
criminal career.
the
Sheet 1.3.2.
MY ANTISOCIAL/OFFENDING BEHAVIOUR
Instructions: analyse your own antisocial behaviour
Describe the events
SITUATION
THOUGHTS
EMOTIONS
BEHAVIOURS
CONSEQUENCES
Short-term:
Long-term:
Table 1.3.3.
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS TO HELP THE PARTICIPANTS DESCRIBE THEIR
ANTISOCIAL/OFFENDING BEHAVIOURS
Functional analysis
Antecedents
Behaviours
Consequences
Questions
What situation were you in? What were you doing? Were there other people
present? What do you remember about the place, is there anything that draws
your attention? What happened before the events took place?
Thoughts: What did you think at that moment?
Emotions: What did you feel at the time of offending?
Behaviours: What was it like? Do you remember what you did?
- Short-term: How did you feel when it was over? Did you think of something
specific? What did you do?
- Long-term: How has that criminal act affected your life on a personal, family,
friendship level?
An alternative way of doing this activity would be, first, by analysing a criminal act of
one of the participants on the board, then asking the others to analyse their case on
Sheet 1.3.2. My antisocial/offending behaviour. To finish the exercise, the
practitioner will summarize the acceptable ideas provided by the participants. The
practitioner must make sure that the components of the functional analysis on which the
young person will work are present in the description of the criminal act.
4.6.4. Activity 4: Supplementary activity
In order to generalize and consolidate the knowledge acquired, the participants are asked
to prepare a self-report on the components of functional analysis concerning some
inappropriate behaviour that might take place in the interval between this session and
the next.
The practitioner will sum up the session as follows: today weve learnt to analyse your
antisocial behaviour in a way that you hadnt done before, but in order to improve this
analysis it would be advisable for you to continue practicing. For that purpose, you can
report, on Sheet 1.3.3. Analysis of an inappropriate behaviour, the analysis of an
inappropriate behaviour that takes place in the interval between this session and the
next.
Sheet 1.3.3.
ANALYSIS OF AN INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR
Instructions: Analyse an inappropriate behaviour
Describe the event
SITUATION
THOUGHTS
EMOTIONS
BEHAVIOUR
CONSEQUENCES
Short-term:
Long-term:
5. SESSION
BEHAVIOUR
4:
MOTIVATION
FOR
CRIMINAL
Sheet 1.4.2.
TYPES OF MOTIVES
INTRAPERSONAL
With regard to oneself: negative emotional states
(sadness, anger), negative physical state (illness),
positive emotional states (happiness, important
celebrations), testing personal control, desire and
temptation.
INTERPERSONAL
With regard to others: interpersonal conflicts
(family, partner, friends), peer pressure (friends,
acquaintances),
positive
emotional
states
(celebrations, special occasions)
The practitioner will make sure that the contents have been understood, and the
participants will be able to provide personal examples of types of motives.
5.6.3. Activity 3: Three stories
The participants are given Sheet 1.4.3. Three stories of antisocial behaviours, in
which there are three cases of offending behaviours. They are asked to analyse and
write about the possible motivations the young people in the stories might have to
commit such antisocial/criminal acts. Then, those behaviours are classified regarding
their intrapersonal and interpersonal typology. At the end, the ideas are shared and
written on the board.
In addition to the motives analysed, we can discuss others such as: economic motives,
need to be cared for, loved and valued, assertion of identity, prestige seeking (being
more assertive), valuing oneself (raising self-esteem, feeling powerful), search for
company, need to be accepted.
Sheet 1.4.3.
THREE STORIES OF ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOURS
STORIES
Fernando, 15 years old, and his gang have specialized in
stealing cars. They are engaged in bag-snatching; raiding
stores to sell off goods and attacking couples in isolated
places to rob them. Sometimes they are surprised in their
misdeeds, and then they start wild chases with the police,
driving in the opposite direction or jumping roadblocks;
sometimes they get badly injured.
Juan is only 16 years old and is one of the most feared
offenders in the city. Together with his group of friends,
among whom are Pedro and Antonio, he is engaged in
smashing telephone booths and performing aggressive
acts towards others, using sticks and other objects. Being
sent to young offender institutions and escaping from
them is something normal in the lives of these youths.
Rosa is a 17-year-old girl addicted to drugs and fond of
partying in general who falls into Juans clutches. Juans
acts are becoming increasingly violent in order to impress
her.
Pedro is about to turn 18. He has been smoking marijuana
for several years. He tried heroin two months ago and has
started to inject himself with it. He gets the money he
needs through trafficking, accompanied by his best
friend. When his family finds out about his situation, he
runs away from home.
INTRAPERSONAL
MOTIVES
INTERPERSONAL
MOTIVES
Could you give an example of what a young person may think at this stage? (Ill quit
today, after tomorrow I wont... anymore, its good for me as it will help me to
discover new sensations). At this stage the teenager who traffics in drugs clearly
realizes that the lifestyle he is leading is not healthy, as he is always hiding and keeping
an eye open in order not to be arrested. So, he considers quitting in order to lead a
quieter life.
4. Action for change: at this stage the young person takes the necessary steps towards
the change he has decided to accomplish.
Could you give an example? (I know I can, Im going to achieve it). At this point
the teenager quits buying drugs, frequenting the places of trade and meeting certain
people; he also changes his mobile phone number and begins to develop a completely
different lifestyle from the one he had been leading so far.
5. Maintenance of change: At this stage the young person concentrates all his
motivation on maintaining the new lifestyle, despite the temptations to drop it and to
return to the usual way of behaving.
Could you give an example? (its hard, but Im doing it, what shall I do if I fail?).
At this stage the young person begins to work in order to earn an income; he does not
spend so much money, he changes his leisure activities and enrols again in high school.
6. Relapse: Return to the behaviour that existed before the change, to any of the earlier
stages. It is something expected and almost necessary, since it is not a failure but an
experience in which one learns to analyse what stressful situations, lack of coping skills,
feelings or thoughts help the appearance of the young persons behaviour that existed
before the change (for example, a young person smokes joints again after having
quitted). This relapse may be momentary, in which case it is called lapse, because
after that point the teenager recovers control over the behaviour without going back to
an earlier stage.
Could you give an example? (I cant do it, Im a failure, doing it once more does
not mean I cant succeed, Ill try again tomorrow). If somebody asks the young
person for a significant amount of drug for a private party, he would only have to take it
and deliver it the same day, and he would earn some money that he needs to fix his
motorbike. Finally, he decides to do it.
If no examples of antisocial/criminal behaviours are given, we will encourage the
participants. Could you give examples of thoughts that young people with
antisocial/offending behaviours similar to yours would have throughout these stages?.
Then we ask them: Have you considered at some point that antisocial/offendingl
behaviours can also be modified? This may be discussed by relating their arguments to
all that has been explained before.
Finally, participants may discuss cases of friends or acquaintances that could fit into
some of the stages described or in whom they have observed an evolution similar to the
one previously described.
In fact, the process of motivation for change might be regarded as the wheel of change
of criminal behaviour; this wheel would consist of six axes, each of these being the
stages of change (precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance
and relapse) (see Figure 1.5.1. Process of motivation for change). As an example, we
could mention the wheels of a cart pulled by a horse in which the wheels have 6 axes
that represent the 6 stages in the transtheoretical model. The strength used by the horse
would be similar to the effort that the participants are going to make in order to be able
to overcome the stages that lead them to replace the offending lifestyle with a different
lifestyle that is normalized from a personal and social point of view.
Figure 1.5.1.
PROCESS OF MOTIVATION FOR CHANGE
Permanent
exit
Relapse
Maintenance
Precontemplation
Contemplation
Action
Preparation
The participant
The therapist/practitioner
MODULE II
Emotions involved in
aggression
We cannot forget the crucial role of negative emotions, such as anger, in explaining
criminal behaviour. Given its importance, Module III is devoted to its conceptualization
and intervention.
Therefore, the objective of this module is to highlight the importance of emotions in a
young offenders behaviour, recognizing them and learning strategies to improve the
level of empathy, as well as learning to manage anxiety.
1.2. GENERAL OBJECTIVES
1. To learn to recognize and interpret a wide range of emotions, both positive and
negative, which are characteristic of human behaviour.
2. To analyse how emotions influence antisocial/criminal behaviour.
3. To learn to empathize with victims of criminal acts.
4. To learn strategies for managing anxiety.
SADNESS
Depressed
Sad
Overwhelmed
Dejected
Discouraged
FEAR
Frightened
Terrified
Tense
Trembling
Apprehensive
ANGER
Angry
Scandalized
Irritated
Upset
Annoyed
UNCERTAINTY
Dazed
Disorientated
Confused
Insecure
Undecided
Sheet 2.1.1.
ANALYSIS OF EMOTIONS
Instructions: analyse the components of the following emotions, in the same way as you have done with
the practitioner
Emotion: JOY
SITUATION
THOUGHT
EMOTION
BEHAVIOUR
As we are celebrating Im enjoying so much, Excitement, happiness, I keep drinking until I
my
best
friends Im a little tipsy
joy
lose control and pick a
birthday, we go street
fight with a friend
drinking
Emotion: SADNESS
SITUATION
THOUGHT
EMOTION
BEHAVIOUR
My parents are not Big deal! I will not be Sadness,
I steal some money from
giving me any pocket able to go to the party discouragement,
my mothers purse and
money as punishment tonight, its not possible dejection
go
out
without
for not going to school
permission
Table 2.1.2.
EXAMPLES OF EMOTIONS
EMOTION
Joy
Anger, rage
Fear
Tension, fear
Sadness
PICTURE
EMOTION
Joy, happiness
Anger, irritation
PICTURE
EMOTION
Uncertainty, insecurity
Fear, doubt
PICTURE
EMOTION
PICTURE
Joy, happiness
Then, the practitioner can explain: it is very important to be able to give a name to
each emotion, because that will help us to know ourselves and others better, and people
around us will know what is happening to us at every moment. Hence the importance of
knowing how to describe emotions with specific adjectives. In addition to the emotions
that you have mentioned, we will see that there are many others you are familiar with.
Next, the practitioner will choose some of the emotions described, and the participants
will have to discuss how they have experienced them, in what situations, how they
acted, and so on.
Finally, a theatre of emotions could be carried out: each participant stages an emotion
(chosen by the practitioner) and the other members have to guess what emotion it is.
2.6.4. Activity 4: Supplementary activity
To go more deeply into the analysis of emotions, we will tell the participants that, in the
interval between this session and the next, they have to complete the self-report on
emotions included on Sheet 2.1.3. Identifying emotions during a week. It must refer
to specific situations of the participants everyday life, identifying the emotions
experienced, as well as the situation they are in, their thoughts and their behaviours.
Sheet 2.1.3.
IDENTIFYING EMOTIONS DURING A WEEK
Instructions: in a similar way as we have done in the session, describe the emotions you feel in your
everyday life during this week and analyse the components of those emotions
WHAT DID I
EMOTION
WHERE WAS I?
WHAT DID I DO?
THINK?
This is very difficult, I
Ignore the teachers
cant get it into my
Boredom
In maths class
explanation
head
something Ill have to live with for the rest of my life. We wanted to have a good time
and we killed a person; you cant even imagine what its like.
We were sent to a centre and there I realized that I had to change my life. Therapies like
this taught me that everything we do affects people, not just those around us; we can do
a lot of harm and we do not realize, but when one day you think about your life and
what youre doing with it, you cant even look at yourself in the mirror. So, while I was
serving the sentence, I started reading, I studied management and now I have a steady
job that I dont dislike at all; I also have a wonderful girlfriend and, most importantly, I
think I have become someone worth. To achieve this, I had to break with everything.
Regarding my friends in the neighbourhood, I only keep in contact with the driver of the
car that night, who is beginning to improve and regain his life after many years of
therapy. As for the other two, I know that one is in jail and the other is hooked on heroin
and his days are numbered. I dont know anything about my mother. Its still not too
late for you to avoid making as many mistakes as I made. Do your best so that, at least,
you dont harm anybody, because at some point you will remember everything and you
will feel bad. You may think that something like that cant happen to you. However, it
really can happen. In fact, it happens every day. Dont take part in it.
Then, the participants are urged to ask some questions about the case. Next, we start a
discussion in which the following questions are answered (participants may use the list
of emotions from the previous session):
- What emotions did Carlos feel at each moment of his life? (when he was young and he
scared his classmates and people in the neighbourhood, when he took drugs and his
criminal acts were more serious, when he was in the centre, at present).
- What emotions did you experience at every point?
- What can we do to prevent something similar happening to us?
- What would you like to say to Carlos?
Once the participants have answered the questions, the practitioner hands out Sheet
2.2.1. Empathy and explains the concept of empathy and the elements included on the
sheet: as you have seen, we have been identifying a persons emotions. That is part of
what is known as EMPATHY, which is the ability to put oneself in somebody elses
place, thus being able to determine and predict their feelings, thoughts and actions
more accurately. It also involves peoples ability to respond coherently to other
peoples feelings, and to recognize, for example, when a friend is angry or sad, so that
we can develop the ability to feel affected by his mood and help him not to feel that
way.
Sheet 2.2.1.
EMPATHY
EMPATHY: ability to put oneself in somebody elses place, thus being able to determine and predict
their feelings, thoughts and actions more accurately. Peoples ability to respond coherently to other
peoples feelings, and to recognize, for example, when a friend is angry or sad.
- By looking at the expression of the face and the body. Thus, we know that a
smile means they are cheerful.
Ways to identify - By observing their behaviour: when they cry, laugh or frown.
- By understanding the situation they are going through at that point of their lives.
emotions
For example, if somebody has lost a loved one, we can understand that they are
sad.
- Have better relationships with others.
- Have less superficial interpersonal relationships.
Empathy helps - Know how to behave in different situations.
- Understand the attitudes and ways of behaving sometimes exhibited by other
us to
people, which may be different from ours.
After this explanation, a brief final discussion follows about what has been explained.
The participants give their opinions about it and, at the end, the therapist gives a
summary of what has been seen in this activity.
3.6.3. Activity 3: Practicing empathy
This activity is intended for the participants to practice their empathic capacity through
the presentation of two fictitious cases about which some questions are asked. Sheet
2.2.2 Practicing empathy is handed out, and the practitioner reads the cases.
Sheet 2.2.2.
PRACTICING EMPATHY
Instructions: read the examples and answer the questions
Ral: Ral has just finished the theory test for getting the driving licence. He goes out with his head
slightly tilted down and looking down. His pace is slow and deliberate. His face shows concern.
What may Ral be thinking?
How do you think Ral is feeling?
Juan: Juan is a young man who lives alone in a big city. He has a badly-paid job in relation to the amount
of hours he works. However, he has been saving money for 1 year to buy a plane ticket and visit his
brother, whom he has not seen for more than two years. On his way to the airport, a young person mugs
him and takes all the money he had saved. He cannot travel.
How would the mugger have acted if he had
Would the mugger think and feel the same after
known about Juans situation?
knowing Juans story?
The objective is not to get a correct solution, but to try to capture the higher number
of emotional states, to encourage empathy in its highest degree. For that purpose, the
practitioner will tell the participants that all answers with a logical basis will be
accepted.
3.6.4. Activity 4: Travel partners
We start this activity by asking each participant to draw a small sticker of a bag. Each
sticker shows the name of a profession or a developmental stage characterizing a
particular lifestyle, considering the way of thinking, feeling and behaving. The names
on the stickers are, for example:
- Elderly man
- Prostitute
- Drug trafficker
- Doctor
- Child
- Model
- Drug addict
- Pickpocket
- Priest
- Footballer
- Leper
- Lawyer
- Nurse
- Lifeguard
- Banker
The practitioner explains the situation: they are all on a boat that breaks down and is
adrift in the ocean. There is not enough food and they think to themselves: what shall
we do to get food? The practitioner asks: Who would we throw overboard to
survive?As they say names, these are written on the board along with the number of
votes. The participants that have drawn that particular name are asked how they feel and
are urged to defend themselves by trying to persuade their partners that they should stay
on board.
In this activity, the practitioner must analyse the consequences our behaviour has for
others. Also, in order to live in society and develop good relationships with others, it is
important to stop to think, just for a moment, how we would feel if we were in their
situation.
3.6.5. Activity 5: Supplementary activity
Participants must complete the self-report on empathy (Sheet 2.2.3 Self-report on
empathy) for the next session. To this end, they will observe a partner or friend at
different moments and/or situations (e.g. when someone is sad because they have been
alienated or when they are happy because they have won a game), noting down what
emotions they have identified, their own thoughts and emotions, what they said to that
person and what they did about it.
Sheet 2.2.3.
SELF-REPORT ON EMPATHY
PERSON
EMOTION
DETECTED
WHAT DID
I THINK?
WHAT DID
I FEEL?
WHAT DID I
SAY?
WHAT DID I
DO?
4.4. ACTIVITIES
Activity 1. Review of the supplementary activity
Activity 2. What is anxiety?
Activity 3. Why does it occur?
Activity 4. Anxiety and aggressive behaviour
Activity 5. Supplementary activity
4.5. MATERIAL
Blackboard and chalk
Blank sheets of paper
Sheet 2.3.1. What is anxiety?
Sheet 2.3.2. The mountain of anxiety
Sheet 2.3.3. An anxious situation
Sheet 2.3.4. Why does it occur?
Sheet 2.3.5. Recognizing my symptoms
4.6. DEVELOPMENT OF THE SESSION
4.6.1. Activity 1: Review of the supplementary activity
The supplementary activity that the participants have done in the previous session is
reviewed as a group, summing up, again, the importance of empathy to make the
participants involvement in interpersonal relationships easier. For example, we may
ask: during this week, have you been more conscious of the emotions conveyed by
others or the way others respond to your emotional state?
Next, the assessment questions listed at the end of the previous session are answered.
4.6.2. Activity 2: What is anxiety?
This activity is begun by providing the participants with a basic understanding of the
concept of anxiety and its manifestation at various levels. First, there will be a
brainstorming session for each of them to comment on what they think anxiety is. If
some ideas are logical and important, they are written on the board. The discussion ends
with a definition of anxiety considering the answers the participants have given.
Sheet 2.3.1. What is anxiety? is handed out and the practitioner will explain its
contents by means of the following introduction: Anxiety is an innate response of
human beings, with the objective of helping us to survive. Whenever we are in danger,
the anxiety circuit is triggered, causing us to react in the most effective way to manage
it. Therefore, anxiety is not always pathological or bad, but beneficial: it is our best ally
to handle difficult situations. It is often associated with very intense emotions that put us
on alert.
For example, if we come across a dangerous animal and we have no means to defend
ourselves against it, we will develop anxiety responses to successfully get out of this
situation. In this situation, anxiety is not bad, as it will help us to get out of a dangerous
situation.
The practitioner will continue to describe the elements of anxiety contained on Sheet
2.3.1. What is anxiety?.
Sheet 2.3.1.
WHAT IS ANXIETY?
ANXIETY is a complex response of our body which is characterized by the increase of perceptual and
physiological faculties that help to achieve an appropriate arousal level to meet a demand of the
environment in which we live. It may also occur under threat of losing a prized possession. It is a
common emotion, like fear, anger, sadness or happiness, and it has a very important function related to
survival, so it is not always pathological or bad.
- Cognitive Responses (thoughts): these are the explanations or
justifications that we give about how we feel or how to assess
a dangerous situation. They are usually thoughts related to how
to handle a situation of uncertainty (As for the last robbery I
was involved in, I dont know if I was recorded by the security
camera of a bank and if I will be arrested) or concern (if
tomorrow I come across Miguel, I dont know if he will smash
my face in). This is the most important element when anxiety
becomes pathological.
- Emotional Responses (emotions): these are intense feelings
Elements of anxiety
of fear, mental block, terror, helplessness that we feel when we
are in a situation of anxiety.
- Physiological Responses: these are organic and/or physical
responses of our body; their presence makes emotions get
more intense. The most characteristic responses are trembling,
tachycardia, shortness of breath, sweating and a knot in the
stomach.
- Behavioural or Action Responses: these are conducts and
behaviours that are exhibited in situations of anxiety; the most
usual responses are avoiding the feared situation or being
motionless or paralysed.
After clearing up any doubts about the concepts explained, the participants are given
Sheet 2.3.2. The mountain of anxiety, pointing out that this graph is intended to
show how anxiety works in our body. As you can see, it looks like a mountain: it starts
climbing until it reaches the top and then it goes down. So, before someone experiences
anxiety, they are usually calm and relaxed. However, when a situation arises which is
assessed as potentially dangerous or unexpected and which causes fear to the person
who experiences it, it begins to rise until it reaches the highest point, where we feel
great discomfort. After a while, it begins to go down gradually until its level reaches the
point of departure, which usually coincides with a significant decrease in the subjective
level of discomfort of the person who suffers it; that is to say, the danger that had been
perceived begins to diminish and it becomes apparent that it is not as serious as it had
been anticipated.
The duration of anxiety responses varies from person to person. So, some people may
spend more time experiencing anxiety at the highest point on the graph, but that does
not mean it will not go down. Anxiety always decreases, because from an adaptive point
of view, the person who suffers it cannot be indefinitely in this situation, although he/she
can suffer it again on other occasions.
To illustrate this concept and work on the identification of symptoms, the practitioner
reads the case included below the graph of the mountain of anxiety. The example will
be considered as a group and in terms of functional analysis (antecedents, behaviour,
consequences), assessing in detail the anxiety behaviour at its various levels (emotional,
cognitive, physiological and behavioural).
Sheet 2.3.2.
THE MOUNTAIN OF ANXIETY
+
THE MOUNTAIN
OF ANXIETY
Instructions: analyse Juans case functionally and give examples of the anxiety elements
Situation: Juan cant stop thinking about what happened the other day. He cant really understand it and
constantly thinks that he could have got into big trouble. On Saturday night he went to the disco with his
friends and his girlfriend. While they were there, a boy started talking to his girlfriend after having been
looking at her all night. Every time Juan moved away, the other took advantage to talk to her. Juan began
to sweat, he felt agitated and nervous; he thought that the guy wanted to laugh at him, and that he didnt
like him and was going to take advantage of his girlfriend. He was restless and could not stop moving.
His condition was such that he even pushed the boy without asking him what he wanted from his
girlfriend. The other boy started to explain that he was an old friend of her older brother and that he was
only telling the girl about it. At first Juan didnt listen; he was furious, but gradually, thanks to the
insistence of another boy, he calmed down, and finally he apologized.
ANTECEDENTS
BEHAVIOUR
CONSEQUENCES
ELEMENTS
Emotional
Cognitive
Physiological
Behavioural
EXAMPLES
After discussing the example, the practitioner asks the participants to write, on Sheet
2.3.3. An anxious situation, an example of a situation (even better if it is a criminal or
antisocial situation) that they have experienced anxiously and then they describe the
various elements of the anxiety response.
Sheet 2.3.3.
AN ANXIOUS SITUATION
Instructions: give an example of a situation in which you felt anxious
Situation:
COMPONENT
EXAMPLES
Emotional
Cognitive
Physiological
Behavioural
before, when we are nervous we think differently, we feel different and do different
things from the ones we would do when we are calm and relaxed. So, from now we will
teach you to recognize when you are nervous and how you can handle it. Anxiety can
feed aggression, because when we are nervous or anxious we are not able to stop and
think about what is happening and consider options to act accordingly.
Therefore, in order to stop acting with aggression and violence, we must learn to
discriminate anxiety in the situations in which it appears and learn to control it.
Next, we ask them to write the following sentence in capital letters on a blank sheet of
paper: IF IM NERVOUS, I HAVE TO LEARN TO BREATHE DEEPLY, SIT DOWN
AND CALM DOWN SO THAT I DONT HAVE TO REGRET WHAT I DONT WANT
TO DO OR SHOULD DO. A discussion follows about what this sentence means to
them and, finally, each participant is asked to tell about any situation in which they
could have applied this instruction.
4.6.5. Activity 5: Supplementary activity
The practitioner gives the participants Sheet 2.3.4. Recognizing my symptoms and
explains the activity, reminding the importance of doing it and clearing up any doubts.
If time permits, this activity could take place in the same session, whether to finish it or
as part of activity 2. What is anxiety?
Sheet 2.3.5.
RECOGNIZING MY SYMPTOMS
Instructions: in order to know exactly what your symptoms of anxiety are, put an X in box YES if
you experience this reaction or NO if you dont. Remember that none of the symptoms are dangerous,
but this test can help you to recognize when youre nervous and to implement techniques that you will
learn in order to relax.
SYMPTOMS
YES
NO
YOU ARE IRRITABLE
YOU ARE WORRIED
YOU ARE TENSE
YOU ARE TIRED
YOU TREMBLE
YOU ARE RESTLESS
YOU CANT SLEEP
DIFFICULTY CONCENTRATING
BAD MEMORY
MUSCLE CRAMP
MUSCLE STIFFNESS
TICS
YOU SWEAT
YOU ARE HOT
TINGLING IN ARMS OR LEGS
TACHYCARDIA
PALPITATIONS
CHEST PAIN
DIZZINESS
STOMACH ACHE
NAUSEA
LIGHT BOTHERS YOU
HEARTBURN SENSATION
URGENT URINATION
DRY MOUTH
Emotional responses: negative emotions that cause discomfort in the face of the
possible danger
Motor or behavioural responses: what we do in that situation.
5.4. ACTIVITIES
Activity 1. Review of the supplementary activity
Activity 2. Analysis of the situation
Activity 3. Being conscious of ourselves
Activity 4. Controlling anxiety
Activity 5. Dealing with situations of anxiety
5.5. MATERIAL
Blackboard, chalk
Sheet 2.4.1. Analysis of the situation
Sheet 2.4.2. Learning to breathe
Sheet 2.4.3. Learning to relax muscularly
Sheet 2.4.4. Mental relaxation
Sheet 2.4.5. Controlling thoughts
Sheet 2.4.6. Implementing strategies to control anxiety
5.6. DEVELOPMENT OF THE SESSION
5.6.1. Activity 1: Review of the supplementary activity
We review the supplementary activity of the previous session, analysing the four
components of anxiety (cognitive, physiological, emotional and motor) and use this task
to introduce the current session.
The practitioner says: today we will become acquainted with the strategies that help us
control our anxiety at various levels (cognitive, motor, physical and emotional).
5.6.2. Activity 2: Analysis of the situation
The objective of this activity is for participants to identify the elements related to the
conducts of anxiety so that they learn to manage it. The practitioner explains: when we
learn to manage anxiety, we are able to recognize its symptoms and the situations that
trigger it. By analysing the following examples we will be able to identify its
characteristic elements and know what the best intervention techniques would be in
order to overcome anxiety.
Then, Sheet 2.4.1 Analysis of the situation is handed out. Each situation is read
together with the participants, who will have to do, individually, the functional analysis
of each of the situations. Finally, the results are shared.
Sheet 2.4.1.
ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION
Instructions: read each situation with the practitioner and then analyse it
Situation 1: Antonio is a 14-year-old teenager whose family has many economic problems. They cant
buy him the designer clothes he likes so much and all his friends wear. After urging his mother to buy
him some trainers he wants, she refuses to buy them. Antonio gets very angry and nervous; he thinks it is
unfair, as all his friends wear them. He pushes his mother, who falls to the ground and fractures her
ankle.
ANTECEDENTS
BEHAVIOUR
CONSEQUENCES
- Cognitive:
- Emotional:
- Physiological:
- Motor:
Situation 2: Mara has found difficulties in contacting and meeting her best friend for a couple of weeks.
When she phones her, she doesnt answer, it takes her several days to answer Marias messages, etc. She
says that she is very busy with school, the gym, etc., and she cant go out. They havent seen each other
during the last two weekends and Mara doesnt understand why. Several days later, Mara bumps into
her at high school, she gets very nervous and cant suppress her anger, so she insults her badly. Her
friend finally breaks contact with her.
ANTECEDENTS
BEHAVIOUR
CONSEQUENCES
- Cognitive:
- Emotional:
- Physiological:
- Motor:
Situation 3: Ral is going to take the theoretical examination for the driving licence today. He is
nervous, tense. He has studied, but he does not feel confident and he thinks he will fail. He decides to
smoke a joint to relax before starting the exam, but unfortunately he gets dizzy and cant do the test.
ANTECEDENTS
BEHAVIOUR
CONSEQUENCES
- Cognitive:
- Emotional:
- Physiological:
- Motor:
- Sitting: focusing on the abdomen, just put your spine straight, imagining that a string is pulling your
head upward, without raising the chin.
- Standing: it is likely that the intake of air just reaches the chest or too little air reaches the abdomen; in
that case, imagine that youre sitting on a very high bench (this position will slightly move the pelvis
forward) and that your head is being pulled upward by a thread. As always, the focus is on the abdomen.
Although each practice does not take you more than half a minute, if you do it with concentration, it will
soon become natural breathing to your body. We will be relaxed, but alert to the inconvenience of
everyday life. You only need to want to do it and to practice it daily.
b) Muscle relaxation: muscle relaxation refers to a state of our body which can be
defined as absence of tension or arousal. Through relaxation our mood can be altered
and we can achieve a state of calmness, peace and quiet.
The practitioner can give the following explanation: when we are in a situation of
conflict or stress, certain muscles in our body tense, making it more difficult to find
satisfactory ways out of that situation. If we learn to identify those muscles, we can
learn to relax them and experience a feeling opposite to tension; we will feel relaxed,
because our muscles are also relaxed. With the exercise were going to do next, you will
learn to identify those feelings of tension in the muscles and then you will learn to relax
them. If you do this exercise every day, in a week you will be able to relax in situations
that cause you nervousness or anxiety. Therefore, the various relaxation techniques we
are learning will be useful to learn self-control skills, before, during and after a
situation that causes you tension.
Training time is one to two weeks, at a rate of one or two sessions of ten minutes each
day. To facilitate learning, the practitioner can record the technique, following the
format presented on Sheet 2.4.3. Learning to relax muscularly.
Sheet 2.4.3.
LEARNING TO RELAX MUSCULARLY
Instructions: practice muscle relaxation of the four muscle groups which are presented below for 10
minutes. Before beginning this exercise, we must be in a comfortable and pleasant position, with our
eyes closed. The exercises presented below must be repeated two or three times.
1) Group 1: both arms. Clench both fists and tense your forearms, bend your arms slightly and tense
your biceps and triceps. Feel the tension along the arms, more and more intense, feel how the tension
increases... and now loosen the arm muscles slowly and, as you do it, the tension disappears and you
feel increasingly the sensation of relaxation. With this exercise you are able to notice the difference
between tension and relaxation and this feeling is very pleasant (130).
2) Group 2: face and neck. Tilt your head forward as if you wanted to touch your chest with your chin
and close your eyes tightly, open your mouth and give a forced smile...; feel the tension in the muscles
of your neck and face, which is becoming more intense... feel how the tension increases... and now
slowly turn your neck to its original position and loosen the muscles of the face, and as the tension
disappears, you feel increasingly the sensation of relaxation. With this exercise you are able to notice
the difference between tension and relaxation. Enjoy this feeling, which is very pleasant, and notice how
these muscles are more and more relaxed (130).
3) Group 3: back, shoulders and abdomen. Arch your torso slowly, making your chest go forward
and your elbows and shoulders go backward, and pull the stomach area out. Feel the tension in those
muscles, which is becoming more intense, feel how the tension increases and now turn those muscles to
their original position, and as the tension disappears, you feel increasingly the sensation of relaxation.
With this exercise you are able to notice the difference between tension and relaxation. Enjoy this
feeling, which is very pleasant, and also notice how these muscles are more and more relaxed (130).
4) Group 4: legs. Contract your thigh muscles and lift the foot, with the heel on the ground and the toes
pointing upward; notice the increasing tension in the calves and all leg muscles, keep the tension... and
now slowly turn those muscles to their original position; as the tension disappears, you feel increasingly
the sensation of relaxation. With this exercise you are able to notice the difference between tension and
relaxation. Enjoy this feeling, which is very pleasant, and also notice how these muscles are more and
more relaxed (130).
5) Abdominal Breathing. Now that the muscles in your body are becoming more relaxed, we are going
to do some breathing exercises to deepen the feelings of relaxation. Start by inhaling and filling your
lungs with air from the abdomen upward... hold your breath and then exhale slowly; as you breathe out,
you notice a growing sense of relaxation, calmness and tranquillity. This feeling is very nice and you
feel more and more calm. Repeat this exercise three times (2).
6) Induction of sensations of relaxation. Finally, spend about two minutes deepening the sensations of
relaxation. For example, the sensation of relaxation fills every muscle in your body and you let the
pleasant and quiet emotions fill your body as you let yourself go more and more. Notice the feeling of
tranquillity, serenity and peace... and the nice feeling of calmness that has been overcoming you. Now
you perceive a deeper and deeper sensation of relaxation... you feel emotional serenity, those calm and
serene feelings that tend to cover and fill your body..., a sensation of internal safety... (hold for a few
seconds). Now feel once again the sensation of heaviness that accompanies relaxation as your body
muscles become looser and looser .... and you feel calm, safe and very, very quiet and serene. In this
state of calmness and tranquillity, every time you exhale, mentally draw the word calm in your
favourite colour and let yourself go more and more through the pleasant sensations of relaxation (hold
for a few seconds.) Very well. Now I will count to 5 and when I get to 3, you will open your eyes
slowly, and when you hear 5, try to stretch and yawn; stand up slowly (2).
5. Abdominal breathing. Now focus on your breathing, taking a deep breath and slowly breathing out the
air in your lungs. As you exhale, draw the word calm in your mind and your whole body becomes
more and more relaxed... (Repeat this exercise 130).
6. Induction of sensations of relaxation. Now that your breathing is slow and unhurried, notice the
increasing sensations of relaxation. They are very pleasant sensations of peace and inner calm. All your
body is at peace with yourself and this feeling is very nice. Keep drawing the word calm in your mind
and every time you visualize it, you feel a greater level of relaxation and inner peace. Repeat this
exercise 130. To finish, when I count three, open your eyes slowly and you feel very good about
yourself.
Once the participants master the three methods of relaxation suggested, perhaps the last
is the most useful for being easy to implement in increasingly less comfortable
situations. For example, after being practiced on an armchair or bed, it can be practiced
on a chair; we can also go from a silent room to the living room while we are watching
TV, then while we are doing something, standing, in the street, writing, etc. The last
step will involve practicing mental relaxation in situations that cause negative emotions,
for example, when we are angry, after an argument, or if we are nervous about an
important personal problem. It will work best if we relax as soon as we notice the first
signs of an anxiety response. The emotions associated with the relation are calmness,
tranquillity and inner peace.
d) Change of thoughts: the objective is for participants to learn to identify their
thoughts and understand how they affect physiological responses that we experience
when we are anxious or nervous. The practitioner can give the following explanation:
one of the main causes of anxiety occurs when anxious thoughts are activated and we
take them as real and dont confirm them. So, in many situations we get nervous
because we make attributions or give inadequate explanations for those situations. That
is, what bothers us or makes us nervous is not what happens to us, but what we think
about what is happening to us. For example, imagine that you are walking down the
street and you meet a friend who, surprisingly, doesnt say hello. What would your
reaction be?
- If you feel angry, you probably think: How dare he? He feels superior, he is a fool.
- If you feel sad, you might think: I must have done something that has offended him.
Im always putting my foot in it. Im going to lose all my friends.
The event is the same in both cases but the type of emotional response (angry and sad)
is directly caused by the thought or interpretation of the events that take place.
Otherwise, everyone would react the same way to the same life situations. To remove
these thoughts, we must first identify them. To this end, the first thing is to identify these
unpleasant sensations and once identified we need to ask ourselves Is the way Im
interpreting this situation right or is there an alternative way to interpret it and make it
more objective and better for me?.
Then, Sheet 2.4.5. Controlling thoughts is handed out. The situation is read together
with the participants and the practitioner comments on the case using the examples in
quotation marks to facilitate practice by the participants. Then they must complete it
individually. Once completed, the answers are shared.
Sheet 2.4.5.
CONTROLLING THOUGHTS
Instructions: read the following situations and provide new examples that could be used for each specific
case.
SITUATION 1: Antonio is a 14-year-old teenager whose family has many economic problems, so they
cant buy him the designer clothes he likes so much and all his friends wear. After urging his mother to
buy him some trainers he wants, she refuses to buy them. Antonio gets very angry and nervous. He
pushes his mother, who falls to the ground and fractures her ankle.
- Its unfair, all my friends wear them
Automatic thoughts
- Anger
Emotions they cause
- Perhaps it is not the best moment to buy those trainers
Alternative thoughts
SITUATION 2: Mara has found difficulties in contacting and meeting her best friend for a couple of
weeks. When she phones her, she doesnt answer, it takes her several days to answer Marias messages,
etc. She says that she is very busy with school, the gym, etc. and she cant go out. They havent seen each
other during the last two weekends and Mara doesnt understand why. Several days later, Mara bumps
into her at high school; she gets very nervous and cant suppress her anger, so she insults her badly.
- Shes being insincere; shes ignoring me but doesnt dare to tell me
Automatic thoughts
- Anger
Emotions they cause
- She may have a serious problem, I should talk to her
Alternative thoughts
-
Sheet 2.4.6.
IMPLEMENTING STRATEGIES TO CONTROL ANXIETY
Instructions: practice the exercises for anxiety control and report the following elements to check if it
works
Physical and
Alternative
Situation
Thoughts
emotional
Technique used
thoughts
sensations
I argue with my
Im an idiot,
I will wait for a
Anger, rage
Breathing and
brother because
because I always
more appropriate
Knot in the
control of
he doesnt lend me
lend him
time to ask him for
stomach
thoughts
his shoes
everything
them
Hes selfish; when
I can ask other
he doesnt
Breathing and
My classmate
classmates.
understand
Anger, tension
muscular
ignores me when I
something, I
Perhaps he
relaxation
ask him a doubt
doesnt know it.
always explain it
to him
MODULE III
Control of negative
emotions
- Situation 1: Ive found out that my girlfriend has lied to me. She said she wasnt going out this afternoon because
she wasnt feeling well, but Ive seen her walking through the park. She knows I hate lies. I have become furious and
have called her to reproach her. However, when she has explained the situation (she was going to pick up her little
brother after school), I have understood it and everything has been cleared up.
- My example:
- Situation 2: When my parents got home and saw the havoc the dog had caused in the house, they immediately
thought of me. Of course, as its me who walks the dog in the morning before going to school, nobody else was to
blame. When I came back home, my parents didnt ask me if I had something to do, they just punished me for a few
weeks. It was unfair, I kept the dog locked in the yard, as every day. I got very angry, shouted and argued with them,
but there was nothing to do. Of course, they didnt think of my brother, because hes so good. The situation
overwhelmed me and I kicked the dog with such bad luck that a leg got broken. It was useless when my brother
admitted later that he had left the door open when he went outside to get his skates. The damage was done.
- My example:
Once the situations have been identified, the practitioner asks them to read them aloud
and he analyses, with the members of the group, those which he considers are best
described.
When the analysis of the examples suggested is over, the practitioner can summarize the
concept of anger as follows: human beings experience a lot of emotions, like
happiness, sadness, fear, uncertainty, rage, etc. Anger is another powerful emotion that
affects our thoughts, what we feel physically and how we behave, so it is important to
learn to control it, as the person who experiences it feels like a pressure cooker and if
he doesnt release the pressure he feels, he will eventually explode.
There are many situations that cause anger. For example, you can get angry when
something doesnt go your way. You may get furious with yourself when you dont
understand the task that you have to do or when your team loses an important match.
You can get frustrated when you find it difficult to achieve a goal, and that frustration
can cause anger.
Thus, some people who make fun of you or insult you can make you furious. You can
also get angry with your parents if you consider that some of their rules are unfair.
Worst of all is when they blame you for something you havent done, but very often we
just get furious without knowing why. Some people hide their anger deep inside. If you
act that way, you can even have a headache or a stomach ache. You may simply feel bad
about yourself and begin to cry. It is not good to hide the anger, so you should find a
way to release it without hurting anyone (including you).
Therefore, anger arises when we dont know how to solve important situations in our
lives; the emotional content of these situations makes them relevant to us, and the
responses we give are exaggerated and disproportionate, and they generate negative
consequences both for ourselves and for other people.
- Thoughts:
- Physiological:
- Behaviour:
- Emotion:
C
Consequences
- Mi situation 2:
A
Antecedents
B
Behaviours
C
Consequences
- Thoughts:
- Physiological:
- Behaviour:
- Emotion:
Next, out of the results on Sheet 3.1.1. Recognizing situations that trigger anger
responses, the two situations provided by the participants are analysed following this
model. The practitioner can analyse one of the situations with the participation of all
members of the group, writing the results on the blackboard, and the second situation is
analysed by the participants in the next section of Sheet 3.1.2. Applying the ABC
model to analyse the reactions of anger (My situation 2).
Finally, the results are discussed and all members reach a common result. As many
situations as the practitioner deems appropriate will be analysed for adequate
understanding of the contents.
2.6.3. Activity 3: What to do? You decide
To go more deeply into the analysis of the consequences of anger, as well as the
possibility of controlling it, the participants are shown a series of situations with two
possible solutions (with and without anger management) and the possible consequences
of such actions. The practitioner says: now we will analyse some situations that can
cause anger, the behaviours that take place and their possible consequences, with which
you may feel identified at some point in your life. The important thing is to consider that
the consequences will be different depending on the behaviours that take place in those
situations.
The situations suggested are listed in Table 3.1.1. Anger-provoking situations:
Table 3.1.1.
ANGER-PROVOKING SITUATIONS
ANGER-PROVOKING
SITUATION
WHAT I DO
- Behaviour 1: although he
apologizes, you decide to insult and
push him
- Behaviour 2: you nod approvingly
and go into the disco, without giving
it more importance
CONSEQUENCES OF WHAT I
DO
- Consequence 1: Youre not allowed
into the disco, what makes your
friends angry; they decide to go
home. The partys over.
- Consequence 2: There have been no
fights, nobodys suffered. You go
into the disco with your friends and
have a great night.
After presenting these examples and discussing them with the participants, we suggest
that they present situations and think of possible behaviours in which anger is controlled
and other behaviours in which it is not, and the consequences in both cases. If the
participants do not suggest new situations, we can use some of those described in the
previous activities. Every suggestion is written on the board, following the ABC
model of anger.
2.6.4. Activity 4: Supplementary activity
We suggest, for the next session, that they remember two antisocial/offending
behaviours that they have carried out as a result of being carried away by rage, and the
anger that such situations caused them and what the consequences have been for them.
They must report them on Sheet 3.1.3 Self-report on reactions of anger, following
the ABC model of anger. We also suggest the possibility of reporting any situation
of anger that they may experience in the interval between this session and the next.
Sheet 3.1.3.
SELF-REPORT ON REACTIONS OF ANGER
Instructions: describe two situations in which you have behaved in an aggressive or inappropriate way
as a result of anger or rage. If you experience any situation this week, you can also note it down
ANTECEDENTS
ANGRY BEHAVIOUR
CONSEQUENCES
- Positive:
- What did I think?
Situation 1:
- Negative:
- What did I feel?
- What did I do?
- Positive:
Situation 2:
- What did I think?
- Negative:
- What did I feel?
- What did I do?
When checking this questionnaire, we can obtain a more precise guidance about the
nature of the situations described, trying to classify them into:
a) Intrapersonal (reactions of anger in situations that are of an individual nature):
Items 1, 4, 22, 24, 25.
b) Interpersonal (reactions of anger in situations that are of an interpersonal nature):
items 2, 3, 5, 6,7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 , 19, 20, 21, 23.
When all the participants have finished, the five situations that have the most votes are
written on the board, so as to clearly see the situations that are considered to be most
frequently associated with anger. In addition, a discussion and debate will follow about
the situations that are considered important or unimportant by each of the participants
(i.e. reasons provided by a participant for considering a situation to be important and
reasons provided by another participant for not considering it as important).
3.6.3. Activity 3: My anger profile
In this activity we continue working with Sheet 3.2.1. Questionnaire about situations
that trigger reactions of anger. The participants choose 10 situations which they have
marked on their questionnaire as a lot or quite a lot. A personal profile of situations
that trigger anger responses is obtained. The situations are noted down on Sheet 3.2.2
Profile of my anger-triggering situations. Then, we put a mark in the correct column
depending on whether these situations are of an intrapersonal or interpersonal nature.
Sheet 3.2.2.
PROFILE OF MY ANGER-TRIGGERING SITUATIONS
Instructions: write down the 10 most common situations in the questionnaire and classify them in
the two categories
MY SITUATIONS
INTRAPERSONAL
INTERPERSONAL
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
With this activity we have completed the profile of situations that trigger reactions of
anger for each participant. We will be able to highlight, in general terms, the general
characteristics of the way the participants react to these situations, considering whether
there are differences in the responses they give to these situations. Finally, we analyse
the nature of the situations, considering whether they are of a more intrapersonal or
interpersonal nature, or both.
3.6.4. Activity 4: Analysing my anger
The intention of this activity, apart from going more deeply into the situations that
trigger anger responses, is for participants to analyse the thoughts, emotions, behaviours
and consequences related to those hypothetical situations. For that purpose, Sheet 3.2.3.
Analysing one of the situations that trigger my reactions of anger is handed out, and
we point out that they must fill in the blanks with the situation with the highest score on
Sheet 3.2.2. Profile of my anger-triggering situations.
Before doing the activity, the practitioner can provide the example in Table 3.2.1.
Example of responses to a situation of anger.
Table 3.2.1.
EXAMPLE OF RESPONSES TO A SITUATION OF ANGER
SITUATION: talking to someone who doesnt answer
THOUGHTS
EMOTIONS
BEHAVIOUR
Not talking to that
Anger
Insults and verbal
person again
Rage
provocations
Shouting at him/her
Anxiety
Physical aggression
I havent done
anything
CONSEQUENCES
Injuries
No conflict resolution
Loss of friendship
Venting anger
Sheet 3.2.3.
ANALYSING ONE OF THE SITUATIONS THAT TRIGGER MY REACTIONS
OF ANGER
Instructions: describe the situation with the highest score in the questionnaire and analyse it in the
categories below
Situation:
THOUGHTS
EMOTIONS
BEHAVIOUR
CONSEQUENCES
Situation 2:
Situation 3:
ANGRY BEHAVIOURS
- What did I think?
- What did I feel?
- What did I do?
- What did I think?
- What did I feel?
- What did I do?
- What did I think?
- What did I feel?
- What did I do?
CONSEQUENCES
- Positive:
- Negative:
- Positive:
- Negative:
- Positive:
- Negative:
4.
SESSION
3:
MANAGEMENT
STRATEGIES
FOR
ANGER
tachycardia, shortness of breath) that occur when we arouse ourselves to deal with any
situations of an intrapersonal or interpersonal nature that trigger reactions of anger.
Relaxation: it is a strategy that allows us to get a reduction on the level of
physiological arousal through the implementation of various techniques.
Self-instruction: order or instruction that a person gives himself/herself to guide
his/her behaviour.
Self-reinforcement: reward that you give yourself for a specific way of behaving.
Negative thoughts: assessment of objects, events and people in a negative way.
Thought that tends to establish negativity as a habit and, without being aware of it,
becomes a habitual way of thinking and expressing oneself.
4.4. ACTIVITIES
Activity 1. Review of the supplementary activity
Activity 2. How can I manage my anger?
Activity 3. Controlling my arousal level
Activity 4. Thought and behaviour
Activity 5. Self-dialogue
Activity 6. Supplementary activity
4.5. MATERIAL
Blackboard and chalk
Sheet 3.3.1. Mental relaxation
Sheet 3.3.2. Thoughts justifying hypothetical situations of anger
Sheet 3.3.3. Development of self-instructions in situations that trigger negative thoughts
Sheet 3.3.4. Self-reinforcement in anger situations with negative thoughts
Sheet 3.3.5. Self-report on situations associated with reactions of anger and their
management
4.6. DEVELOPMENT OF THE SESSION
4.6.1. Activity 1: Review of the supplementary activity
We review the self-report on anger from the previous session, analysing the various
components of this type of reaction and emphasizing especially the relationship between
physiological arousal and emotional response of anger. Furthermore, we take advantage
to briefly review the situations that cause the most anger to each participant. Finally, the
assessment questions are answered.
4.6.2. Activity 2: How can I manage my anger?
The objective of this activity is, basically, that participants provide different ideas on
how we can manage anger. You can give the following introduction: when we are
stressed, our body doesnt rest well during sleep and we get up feeling tired. If we are
too aroused, emotions are triggered and we tend to treat other people inappropriately,
even people we are fond of. Imagine, for example, that one day you have a lot of things
to do in different places in Madrid. Lets consider this situation. I have just passed the
driving licence test. At the driving school, they have told me that I have to do some
paperwork before I can take my car for the first time (which Im looking forward to). I
have to go to the traffic department to get my drivers licence, but before that I have to
take the psychometric tests, have my photo taken, have some documents stamped in the
driving school, etc. You know that you are not going to have time to do everything, so
you rush to and fro with the intention of doing everything before 2 p.m. As it is Friday,
you want to sort it out, otherwise you wont be able to drive this weekend and take your
friends to the mountains, something you promised you would do as soon as you passed.
Do you identify with the situation? Okay, now think of how you feel. Also imagine that
you go on the bus, its 1 p.m. and you still have to hand in the last document at the
traffic department. You are not far, but theres a lot of traffic and you start to get
nervous. The person next to you gives you a gentle push with his arm and he
apologizes. You look at him disapprovingly. Suddenly, smoke starts to come out of the
bus. The engine has just broken down and the driver says that you have to get off.
Another bus will arrive in a while to pick up the passengers. You run out of patience
and start telling the driver that hes incompetent and clumsy..., he replies, but you just
keep insulting him, the driver defends himself and you end up shouting that it is his fault
that you will be late... and a thousand other things...
NOW THINK! Do you think the driver wanted the bus to break drown so that you
arrived late? Do you think that was intentional? Do you think the person who pushed
you moments before intended to hurt you? Now you probably think the answer is NO,
but in a real stressful situation you would probably answer these questions with an
emphatic YES.
Firstly, after these considerations, a brainstorming session is proposed concerning the
physiological responses that your body would experience, and these are written on the
blackboard. Secondly, we analyse the possible alternatives to control the reactions of
anger in that situation or other different situations that the participants might suggest.
Some options might be: getting the driving licence next week, developing an internal
dialogue to calm down, thinking about other things, relaxing, breathing deeply, doing
other activities (sports, music), telling the other person what bothers me to sort it out
properly, etc. All suggested ideas are written on the board and, finally, we conclude by
saying that they are going to learn now a series of techniques that will help them to
control the physiological arousal, accompanied by nervousness, that eventually
generates a reaction of anger that would be, essentially, the sum of the two responses
(physiological arousal + emotional arousal).
4.6.3. Activity 3: Controlling my arousal level
In this activity the participants are trained to learn strategies aimed at the control of the
physiological arousal. The practitioner will begin by explaining that, as seen in the
previous activity, some of the techniques that can be used to control anger are those that
control the level of physiological arousal we have at the moment of experiencing this
type of reaction. To this end, the practitioner will ask the participants to remember what
techniques were studied in the previous module for managing anxiety. After the
participants comments, the practitioner hands out Sheet 3.3.1. Mental relaxation,
explaining that they are going to review one of the methods studied for the management
of anxiety, i.e. mental relaxation, which will also be useful for managing anger. The
method is reviewed and put into practice.
Sheet 3.3.1.
MENTAL RELAXATION
Instructions: practice the relaxation method that follows. The review of this method can be done in 5.
If necessary, you can do it for as long as you need to review the technique in depth.
1. In a comfortable position, with eyes closed, focus your attention on both arms. Look for possible
points of tension in your forearms, biceps and triceps. Without any muscular movement, eliminate the
tension in those muscles little by little.... and enjoy the sensations of relaxation that you will notice when
you eliminate stress. These muscles are more and more relaxed... and as relaxation increases, tension
decreases... (30).
2. Now focus on your face and neck. Consider again if there is any point of tension in those muscles and
send messages from your mind to loosen, relax and calm them. This feeling is very pleasant and the
more relaxed you feel you are, the greater the sensation of calm and tranquillity. (30).
3. Look for tension in the area of the back, shoulders and abdomen. If you find it, eliminate it gradually;
you will feel a very pleasant sensation of relaxation... (30).
4. Finally, focus on your legs and see if there is any tension; eliminate it gradually, until you notice that
your legs are more and more relaxed... (30).
5. Abdominal breathing. Now focus on your breathing, taking a deep breath and slowly breathing out the
air in your lungs. As you exhale, draw the word calm in your mind and your whole body becomes
more and more relaxed... (Repeat this exercise 130).
6. Induction of sensations of relaxation. Now that your breathing is slow and unhurried, notice the
increasing sensations of relaxation. They are very pleasant sensations of peace and inner calm. All your
body is at peace with yourself and this feeling is very nice. Keep drawing the word calm in your mind
and every time you visualize it, you feel a greater level of relaxation and inner peace. Repeat this
exercise 130. To finish, when I count three, open your eyes slowly and you feel very good about
yourself.
After relaxation, the participants are asked to describe how they have felt while doing it,
what they have noticed, if anyone has felt dizzy, etc. It is important to know that any
technique used to learn to relax requires frequent practice to get to learn it.
4.6.4. Activity 4: Thought and behaviour
This activity is intended for participants to understand the importance of thoughts on
how we act, before learning the techniques of cognitive restructuring. To that end, the
practitioner will give the following explanation: in this session we will learn how the
way we think influences the way we behave. Although many times we feel that our
behaviours, especially the aggressive ones, occur immediately as a response to a
provocation, an insult, a push..., the thoughts we have between the moment at which the
provocation occurs and the response we give play an important role, even though we
are not aware of it, since they are automated after having practiced them so many times.
In short, what we think, what we say to ourselves and how we justify what we do is so
important that we could say it influences our aggressive behaviour towards other
people. Moreover, responding by attacking is not the only alternative, as we know that
not everybody responds angrily to the same situation. How do people who dont develop
a reaction of anger think? You may think that they are cowardly or unemotional, but in
fact, the explanation lies in their heads, thats what makes them different. So if I think
that someone is looking at me, Ill end up attacking them verbally or physically.
It is important that participants are encouraged to provide more examples in which we
can identify thoughts and behaviour.
Next, the practitioner hands out Sheet 3.3.2. Thoughts justifying hypothetical situations
of anger and asks the participants to identify, either in groups or individually, possible
thoughts that justify or explain that way of behaving and the alternative positive
thoughts, according to the situations suggested.
Sheet 3.3.2.
THOUGHTS JUSTIFYING HYPOTHETICAL SITUATIONS OF ANGER
Instructions: think and identify the thoughts that can justify or explain the way the main characters in
the stories behave. Then, point out what positive thoughts could be suggested as an alternative.
SITUATIONS
NEGATIVE THOUGHTS
ALTERNATIVE
THOUGHTS
fool. Self-instruction to control anger: Perhaps he hasnt seen me. There are a lot of
people here, its no wonder he tripped.
After the example, Sheet 3.3.3. Development of self-instructions in situations that
trigger negative thoughts is handed out and the participants are asked to complete it,
either in groups or individually, developing self-instructions when confronting negative
thoughts associated with different situations.
Sheet 3.3.3.
DEVELOPMENT OF SELF-INSTRUCTIONS
TRIGGER NEGATIVE THOUGHTS
IN
SITUATIONS
THAT
Instructions: describe the negative thoughts that can be developed in the situations specified, as well
as the self-instructions that could be applied in each case
SITUATION
NEGATIVE THOUGHT
SELF-INSTRUCTION
Then, the practitioner explains that a strategy closely related to self-instructions is selfreinforcement. The practitioner says: self-reinforcement means that we are the ones
who give ourselves a reward for the behaviour exhibited. That is, we reward ourselves
for a behaviour we have had. For example, after having studied for one hour, a student
frequently gets up from the table and goes to the kitchen for a snack. As he wants to
change the way he studies, he is determined to do it every hour, but only if he has been
able to concentrate. The self-reinforcement will be the action of getting up and eating
something he likes.
Next, we will ask the participants to make a list of things that they consider rewarding,
and we write them on the blackboard. It is important that these are rewards to which
they have access and which have no negative consequences for anyone. Some possible
examples are: playing football, surfing the Internet for half an hour, having an ice
cream, buying a comic. Verbal self-reinforcements can also be used; these are positive
verbalizations addressed to ourselves for something we have done well. For example:
Im doing it very well, Ive had a hard time controlling myself, but Ive done it
alone, I am very proud of myself, Im great, etc.
Sheet 3.3.4 Self-reinforcement in anger situations with negative thoughts is handed
out and the participants fill it in. This can be done as a group, with the practitioner
writing the suggestions on the board, or individually, sharing the suggestions at the end.
After the exercise, the practitioner will emphasize that, when we give ourselves a
reward, it is important to do it as soon as possible, so that it can take effect, whether
with self-verbalizations or tangible rewards. Moreover, we will tell them that every time
they succeed in thinking in a way that helps them to keep control and not to succumb to
their feelings of anger, they will use any reward (it neednt be something material, it can
also be an activity they enjoy).
Sheet 3.3.4.
SELF-REINFORCEMENT IN ANGER SITUATIONS WITH NEGATIVE
THOUGHTS
Instructions: describe the negative thoughts that could arise in the situations below, as well as the verbal
or material self-reinforcements that could be applied.
SITUATION
Every time a friend contradicts me
on the subject of football, I cant
stand it and I always end up
yelling at him and arguing with
him. They know nothing about
football, they are such ignorant
fools.
I dont like people touching my
things. When someone does, I can
even hit them.
I cant bear losing when I play
any kind of games. Im very
competitive and I can do anything
to win. I dont care who Im
playing against, I will always hate
them if they win.
You are walking down the street
and you bump into a classmate
you know. He is very cocky and is
always picking on everyone.
When he walks past you, he
pushes you and calls you names.
You are in class and the teacher is
checking some maths exercises.
Your exercises are wrong and the
teacher sneers at you in front of
your classmates.
NEGATIVE THOUGHT
SELF-REINFORCEMENT
Material:
Verbal:
Material:
Verbal:
Material:
Verbal:
Material:
Verbal:
Material:
Verbal:
Finally, we give a summary of all the techniques studied throughout the session,
emphasizing the elements seen for each of them, as well as the importance they have in
relation to anger management.
4.6.7. Summary of the session
As a conclusion to the session, the practitioner must briefly highlight the most important
aspects that have been discussed and link them to the objectives established, so as to
give the participants a sense of integration of all concepts discussed. The practitioner
must give each participant a score from 0 to 10, considering the following criteria:
a) work done and b) assimilation and internalization of the concepts discussed.
4.6.8. Assessment questions
1. There are several strategies that can help me to manage my anger (TRUE).
2. One way to manage my anger is to control my physiological arousal level, i.e. the
physical sensations I experience when I am angry (TRUE).
3. All the strategies I can use to manage my anger are very simple, so it is not necessary
to practice them frequently (FALSE).
5. SESSION 4: PRACTICING
MANAGING ANGER (I)
STRATEGIES
FOR
5.5. MATERIAL
Blackboard and chalk
Sheet 3.4.1. Implementing strategies for managing anger in two hypothetical situations
Sheet 3.4.2. Implementing strategies for managing anger in my anger-triggering
situations
Sheet 3.4.3. Self-report on situations associated with reactions of anger and their
management
5.6. DEVELOPMENT OF THE SESSION
5.6.1. Activity 1: Review of the supplementary activity
We review the report on situations associated with reactions of anger and their
management, which has been carried out during the week. We must check the use of the
techniques taught in the previous session, encouraging the participants to practice them
in order to acquire and strengthen new habits of behaviour in situations associated with
reactions of anger throughout the years. Next, in order to briefly review the previous
session, the assessment questions included at the end of it are answered.
5.6.2. Remembering the strategies
The aim of this activity is to remember the strategies seen in the previous session in
order to practice them better through the analysis of two fictitious situations. To that
end, the practitioner says: What we are going to do today is to implement the strategies
we learnt in the previous session through various situations. Do you remember what
techniques we learnt?. A brief summary of the strategies follows, and the practitioner
writes them on the board.
The practitioner continues explaining: Now well practice with two hypothetical
situations. You will have to analyse the situations and think about the techniques you
would implement if you were in the same situation as the main character. The
practitioner hands out Sheet 3.4.1. Implementing strategies for managing anger in two
hypothetical situations, telling the participants that they will have to analyse the
emotions that the situation is causing to the main character and their intensity; they also
have to point out what techniques they would put into practice in each example for
managing anger.
Sheet 3.4.1.
IMPLEMENTING STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING ANGER IN TWO
HYPOTHETICAL SITUATIONS
Instructions: read the examples below. Analyse the emotions that are being generated in each case
and point out what techniques you would implement for each specific situation
Emotion
Mental
Alternative
SelfSelfSituation
and
relaxation
thoughts
instructions
verbalizations
intensity
Gemas parents have
punished her by not
giving her any pocket
money for two weeks,
because she hasnt gone
to school. She has argued
with her parents and is
very angry, because she
wont be able to celebrate
her birthday today; she
had already arranged to
meet her friends and had
organized everything.
Juan is about to explode.
He has finally managed
to arrange a meeting with
the girl he likes. He was a
little nervous because he
was going to be late.
When he was running
down the stairs at home,
he has fallen down and
has broken the new
trousers he had bought
for the occasion.
When the exercise is completed, the cases are presented. Each participant will have to
explain how he would implement each of the techniques he has considered appropriate
to put into practice in the situations proposed.
5.6.3. Implementation
In this activity, following the same method as in the previous one, the aim is for each
participant to analyse two personal situations. To that end, they will use the hierarchy
prepared in the second session of this module (Sheet 3.2.2 Profile of my angertriggering situations). Each participant chooses the intrapersonal and interpersonal
situation that they considered to be the one that caused a higher level of anger.
Alternatively, they can choose any situation not included in the hierarchy that has taken
place in the centre or they have been through recently.
The practitioner hands out Sheet 3.4.2. Implementing strategies for managing anger in
my anger-triggering situations and the exercise is begun.
Sheet 3.4.2.
IMPLEMENTING STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING ANGER IN MY ANGERTRIGGERING SITUATIONS
Instructions: describe the intrapersonal and interpersonal situation that causes you a higher level of
anger. Analyse the emotions that each of them generates in you and point out what techniques you
would implement in each specific situation
Emotion
Mental
Alternative
SelfSelfSituation
and
relaxation
thoughts
instructions
verbalizations
intensity
Situation 1:
Situation 2:
After the specific cases have been discussed, each participant must explain how they
would implement each of the techniques they have considered appropriate to put into
practice in the situations chosen.
5.6.4. Conclusions
This activity will serve as a summary of the entire session. Each of the strategies
implemented will be discussed, together with their difficulty or simplicity, and when the
best moment to use each of them is.
5.6.5. Activity 5: Supplementary activity
Sheet 3.4.3. Self-report on situations associated with reactions of anger and their
management is handed out. It is just a new anger report that the participants will have
to fill in with the techniques learnt. In the last two columns, they must point out what
techniques they did not use and what difficulties they encountered when implementing
the ones they did use.
Sheet 3.4.3.
SELF-REPORT ON SITUATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH REACTIONS OF
ANGER AND THEIR MANAGEMENT
Instructions: until the next session, keep practicing the techniques we have learnt. Report the
situations that cause you anger, annoyance or discomfort, the specific emotion caused by that
situation, its intensity, the control technique used and the intensity of the emotion after putting the
control strategy into practice. Also, point out what strategies you didnt use and what difficulties you
run into when implementing the ones you did use.
Emotion and
Techniques
Intensity after
Techniques
Situation
Difficulties
intensity
used
implementation
not used
6. SESSION 5: PRACTICING
MANAGING ANGER (II)
STRATEGIES
FOR
situations that make me lose control and have feelings of anger, and gives the
following explanation: in this activity each of us will build four pyramids. The first
pyramid will consist of situations that occur in your home with your parents, guardians,
or brothers/sisters and that make you very angry. You have to think of three situations
that infuriate you or make you very nervous, and arrange them from more to less anger,
frustration or rage. When the pyramids of Egypt were built, workers had to work much
harder to place the stones at the top; the stones at the base were easier and faster to
manage, so we will do the same. Put the situations that cause you fewer problems and
are easier to cope with at the base, as well as the situations that cause you less stress.
As you approach the top, put the situations which cause you more anger and which you
find more difficult to manage. The situation must include many details, and it must
describe your thoughts, feelings and what you would do. When you finish, we will go
through the situations as a group, and we will see that your situations are very similar
to those of your partners.
The second pyramid must also be built with three situations that make you lose
control and have feelings of anger, but this time in connection with your friends or
classmates, in class, in leisure activities.
The third pyramid must be built with situations that happen to you in everyday life
and make you angry when you have contact with teachers or other adults, workmates,
etc..
The fourth pyramid refers to personal situations, that is, situations that have to do
with ourselves and dont involve other people.
Sheet 3.5.1.
ANGER SITUATIONS THAT OCCUR AT HOME, WITH MY PARENTS,
BROTHERS/SISTERS AND OTHER RELATIVES
Instructions: describe three situations that make you very angry in your home, with your parents,
brothers/sisters and other relatives. Remember that situation 3 is the one that causes you less anger and
situation 1 is the one that causes you more anger
Situation 1
Situation 1
Situation 2
Situation 2
Situation 3
Situation 3
Sheet 3.5.2.
SITUATIONS THAT MAKE ME LOSE CONTROL AND HAVE FEELINGS OF
ANGER WITH MY FRIENDS OR CLASSMATES, IN CLASS AND IN
LEISURE ACTIVITIES
Instructions: describe three situations that make you very angry with your friends or classmates, in class and
in leisure activities. Remember that situation 3 is the one that causes you less anger and situation 1 is the one
that causes you more anger
Situation 1
Situation 1
Situation 2
Situation 2
Situation 3
Situation 3
Sheet 3.5.3.
SITUATIONS THAT MAKE ME LOSE CONTROL AND HAVE FEELINGS OF
ANGER WITH MY TEACHERS OR OTHER ADULTS
Instructions: describe three situations that make you very angry with your teachers or other adults.
Remember that situation 3 is the one that causes you less anger and situation 1 is the one that causes you
more anger
Situation 1
Situation 1
Situation 2
Situation 2
Situation 3
Situation 3
Sheet 3.5.4.
PERSONAL SITUATIONS THAT MAKE ME LOSE CONTROL AND HAVE
FEELINGS OF ANGER
Instructions: describe three personal situations that make you very angry. Remember that situation 3 is the
one that causes you less anger and situation 1 is the one that causes you more anger
Situation 1
Situation 1
Situation 2
Situation 2
Situation 3
Situation 3
Once the situations have been established, a discussion follows on the importance of
doing these exercises to easily identify situations that cause reactions of anger, so that,
ultimately, we can act on them effectively.
6.6.4. Activity 4: Conclusions
This activity will serve as a summary of the entire session. Each of the techniques
implemented will be discussed, together with their difficulty or simplicity, and when the
best moment to use each of them is. Comparisons may be made depending on the type
of situation (intrapersonal or interpersonal) and we may refer to the results observed in
the diary of emotions, establishing guidelines for each specific case.
Finally, the participants will be asked to give a personal opinion on the module about
control of negative emotions and the usefulness of everything that has been learnt.
6.6.5. Activity 5: Supplementary activity
A new diary of emotions will be handed out on Sheet 3.5.5. Self-report on situations
associated with reactions of anger and their management so that the participants
continue reporting the implementation of the strategies taught in previous sessions.
Sheet 3.5.5.
SELF-REPORT ON SITUATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH REACTIONS OF
ANGER AND THEIR MANAGEMENT
Instructions: until the next session, keep practicing the techniques we have learnt. Report the situations that
cause you anger, annoyance or discomfort, the specific emotion caused by that situation, its intensity, the control
technique used and the intensity of the emotion after putting the control strategy into practice. Also, point out
what strategies you didnt use and what difficulties you run into when implementing the ones you did use.
Situation
Emotion and
intensity
Techniques
used
Intensity after
implementation
Techniques
not used
Difficulties
Table 3.5.1.
INFORMATION ABOUT MOTIVATION AND STAGES OF CHANGE
When people want to change something, that change does not imply a rapid process. On the contrary,
this is usually achieved by overcoming difficulties stage by stage. At each of these stages there are
thoughts and emotions that help us accomplish change gradually, until we are finally able to achieve
the goal we had set for ourselves. The phases or stages of change are:
1. Precontemplation of change: at this stage the young person does not think he has a problem or has
to change anything. However, this does not mean that other important people in his life -parents,
brothers/sisters and friends- do think the young person has a problem, despite the fact that they are the
ones who are suffering the consequences of his behaviour.
2. Contemplation of change: young people who are at this stage begin to feel that they have a
problem, although their initial awareness does not mean that they are willing to change. They are
experiencing a sort of ambivalence and they are not sure about the pros and cons of continuing with
their current lifestyle as opposed to changing it.
3. Preparation for change: this is where the young person decides he really has a problem he has to
solve by changing his way of behaving, by developing a new way of thinking and feeling about
himself and the world he lives in.
4. Action for change: at this stage the young person takes the necessary steps towards the change he
has decided to accomplish.
5. Maintenance of change: at this stage the young person concentrates all his motivation on
maintaining the new lifestyle, despite the temptations to drop it and return to the usual way of
behaving.
6. Relapse: return to the behaviour that existed before the change, to any of the earlier stages. It is
something expected and almost necessary, as it is not a failure but an experience in which one learns
to analyse what stressful situations, lack of coping skills, feelings or thoughts help the appearance of
the young persons behaviour that existed before the change.
MODULE IV
Beliefs that sustain criminal
behaviour
BEHAVIOUR
I insult him
I apologize
Teachers
Anger, rage
Shame
I shout, I insult
him and throw
him the book
I apologize and
shut up
To make the task easier, the activity can be started with a discussion by asking the
youths to provide positive, negative and neutral ways of thinking, which are written on
the board. At the end of the debate, the participants are asked to fill in Sheet 4.1.3.
Identifying thoughts individually. The activity ends with a summary by the
practitioner in which the relationship between thoughts, feelings and behaviour will be
highlighted again. It can also be pointed out that this relationship is automated over time
and we are not usually aware of how thoughts and emotions influence the way we
behave.
2.6.3. Activity 3: Distorted thoughts
This activity is aimed at helping the participants acquire adequate knowledge about the
influence of negative/distorted thoughts on our behaviour. To this end, Sheet 4.1.4.
Distorted thoughts is handed out and the practitioner gives the following explanation:
now well focus on negative thoughts and their possible relation to
antisocial/offending behaviour. To that end, well analyse different situations and you
will have to think about or imagine the negative/distorted thoughts that could occur in
them, writing them down on the sheet. You must try to put yourselves in the main
characters place, as in this way you will develop an increased ability to identify
distorted thoughts.
This activity includes different examples of intrapersonal and interpersonal situations
which are characteristic of a young offenders lifestyle in order to be able to identify
distorted thoughts associated with this type of situations. To make learning easier, the
practitioner gives an example of the first situation and then tells the participants to
individually write down any potential thoughts the main characters would have in the
different stories presented. Finally, each participant reads his thoughts; the practitioner
can write them on the blackboard to reanalyse them later and identify possible cognitive
distortions at the end of the session.
Sheet 4.1.4.
DISTORTED THOUGHTS
Instructions: read the following situations and identify distorted thoughts that the main characters in each of the
stories could have
SITUATION
DISTORTED THOUGHTS
Antonio is a 16-year-old teenager whose Its always the same; she never wants to buy me anything I ask
family has many economic problems. They for. Im sure she has the money, but prefers to spend it on her
cant buy him the designer clothes he likes so whims. What will my friends say? Everyone will laugh at me.
much and all his friends wear. After urging Its not fair; if she loved me as much as she says, she would buy
his mother to buy him some trainers he me the trainers. Shes doing this to punish me. My mother wont
wants, she refuses to buy them. Antonio gets buy me the trainers. I cant stand her, Im fed up. She never
very angry and nervous; he pushes his understands me. She should be more considerate towards me.
mother, who falls to the ground.
I cant stand it any more, this pain is unbearable... its not fair
that this accident happened to me... Im stupid, if only I hadnt
ridden the motorcycle... I cant take it anymore... I should take
something to ease this pain. I remember people say that
cannabis is used by doctors, Im sure its good. Besides, it will
be just this time... my parents should understand it if I smoked a
joint to relieve this pain. Everyone would do the same in my
situation. Unless I take something to calm down, this pain wont
change. If the pain stopped, I wouldnt have to take anything.
What if they tell me that the fracture is not going well? The
doctor who has checked me today seemed to be worried. Thats
because of my leg! I will have to be operated on... breaking your
leg is the worst thing that can happen to you!
Everybody is going to the party except me. Theyll wonder
whats wrong with me and think that Im a bore, a fool, that it
seems I like spoiling the fun, that they cant count on me for
anything... I have to go. If I dont go out tonight, I will never be
able to go out with them again. Well, perhaps I could go out and
avoid drinking... If the party is spoiled, it will be my fault! But
why shouldnt I drink? However, if I drink, these two weeks
effort will be useless. Besides, if I go, Im sure Ill get into
trouble. But if I dont go, they will think Im stupid and I dont
know how to have fun... Well, what happened last time neednt
happen again, I can drink a little and thats it; I can cope. Its
been a while since I last drank, so its okay to have a couple of
drinks. After the fight: The other girl is to blame; she
provoked me, she always does.
At last, Ive had a little luck, its fair to take these 50 euros
from the cash register; I deserve it. I need that money. If he
doesnt like me this Saturday, he will get off with another girl. I
should take the money now, so I can buy that dress I like so
much; in that dress Im going to dazzle him. If I wear something
different, he wont like me. Nobody will see me, and if I get
caught, nothing will happen to me, as its not much money. At
the most, the shop assistant might scold me and thats all.
Besides, this shop assistant is useless. Nothing will happen if I
steal these 50 euros. Everyone would do the same in my
situation. If my mother gave me some money every day, I
wouldnt have to steal. I must take it and act normal.
Whats the matter with this guy? Every time I move away from
my girlfriend, he comes up to talk to her. Hes very full of
himself, and he thinks he can get off with all the girls. Im sure
he wants to take away my girl. Does he think he can laugh at
me? What about her? She shouldnt be talking to him; this girls
always paying attention to other guys. She seems to like making
me jealous. Even though I have told her a thousand times not to
fool around with others, the following weekend she does it
again... All girls are shameless hussies. My friends must have
noticed; thats why they say Im a wimp, because I dont assert
myself.
Two more drinks and thats it; I can cope. Today I have to get a
little tipsy, because the last few weeks have been horrible. These
girls are all a bunch of spoilt brats; they are loaded, so if I steal
any of their bags they wont even notice. Its fair. I cant stand
people like them; they know nothing about life; its not fair that
they have no problems in their lives. Besides, look at the way
they dance, theyre teasing me and I wont control myself. Look,
theyre leaving. Actually, theyre afraid of me.
demanding and I hadnt prepared the last part of the exam as thoroughly as the first.
This attribution, in the short term, will make him feel bad about himself, but in the long
term it will make him study for the next exam with greater dedication and he will feel
that he controls the situation. However, if he makes an external attribution, the situation
seems uncontrollable and therefore he will not develop control strategies to overcome
the situation.
Generally, external attributions are related to offending behaviour. We usually lay the
blame for the misfortunes on other people and/or institutions, and we attribute success
to luck rather than to our own effort. If we do something wrong, its easier to blame
others than take our own responsibility; but if something goes right, it doesnt help us to
attribute it to external causes, as this will lead us to underestimate ourselves and feel
bad about ourselves. It is also possible for a young person to attribute the success of an
offence to himself; in this case, he would be making an internal attribution of success,
but the social context in which it takes place will make him more skilful when
committing offences. However, at the same time, the likelihood of being arrested will
increase. Therefore, it is important to differentiate the social context in which internal
and external attributions take place.
After the explanation, the practitioner hands out Sheet 4.1.5. How do we justify our
behaviour? and the participants give their opinion about the type of attribution.
Sheet 4.1.5.
HOW DO WE JUSTIFY OUR BEHAVIOUR?
Instructions: read each example and identify the type of attribution made by the main character
ATTRIBUTIONS
INTERNAL/EXTERNAL
1. Juan wins an athletics competition. When he sees his friends, he tells EXTERNAL
them that he has been very lucky, since the others were already tired.
2. Mara presents an assignment in class and the teacher says it has been INTERNAL
an excellent presentation. Mara tells a friend that she has made a huge
effort for the presentation to go well.
3. Luis is grounded for getting home late the day before. He phones a EXTERNAL
friend and says its not fair, because its not his fault that the bus was
delayed.
4. Cristina has got a bad mark in physical education. Her parents scold EXTERNAL
her and she slams the door saying that the teacher is more demanding
with her than with the rest.
5. Claudia has an argument with her boyfriend and he doesnt call her INTERNAL
for three days. On the fourth day, she thinks: Ive been more irritable
than usual lately.
Next, each of the participants is asked to explain the offence for which they are in the
centre. They try to determine whether it is an internal or external attribution on Sheet
4.1.6. Justification for the criminal act for which I am here. In the case of young
people observing precautionary measures, we would talk about the alleged offence or
make reference to previous antisocial/criminal acts.
Sheet 4.1.6.
JUSTIFICATION FOR THE CRIMINAL ACT FOR WHICH I AM HERE
Instructions: describe the justification for the antisocial act for which you are here and assess the type
of attribution that justification represents
OFFENCE COMMITTED
JUSTIFICATION
INTERNAL/EXTERNAL
We will finish this activity by summing up the relationship between the behaviours that
we perform, the justifications we give for them and the offending behaviour. We ask the
question: does the justification we give for the acts we are here for make sense or could
we find alternative explanations that are more adaptive to achieve some change in the
way we approach life?
2.6.5. Activity 5: Supplementary activity
This activity is intended for participants to identify and report, on Sheet 4.1.7.
Reporting my negative thoughts, any type of negative/distorted thoughts they, or
other people they listen to, may have. They must describe the situation in which the
thought arises, the negative thought itself and the consequences it has had.
Sheet 4.1.7.
REPORTING MY NEGATIVE THOUGHTS
Instructions: report any negative thoughts you identify. They can be your own or other peoples
thoughts. Describe the situation in which the thought arises, the negative thought itself and its
consequences.
SITUATION
NEGATIVE THOUGHT
CONSEQUENCES
Once the letter has been read individually, the following questions are answered as a
group:
1. Identify Almudenas distorted thoughts.
2. Are Almudenas thoughts based on real events or are they her own conclusions?
Although her thoughts may seem adaptive at certain times, could they be interpreted in a
different way?
3. Imagine that you are replying to Almudenas letter. Explain to her why her thoughts
are irrational.
The practitioner writes the three questions on the board and leaves some space to write
the participants answers.
2.6.7. Final activity of the session
To finish the session and work on the identification of distorted thoughts, the films
Crash (Paul Haggis, 2004, Lions Gate Films; Distributed in Spain by Manga Films) or
Remember The Titans (Boaz Yakin, 2000; Walt Disney Company) could be watched.
The participants watch the movie and then discuss the distorted thoughts that appear on
it.
2.6.8. Summary of the session
As a conclusion to the session, briefly, the practitioner must highlight the most
important aspects that have been dealt with and link them to the objectives established,
so as to give the participants a sense of integration of all concepts discussed. The
practitioner must give each participant a score from 0 to 10, considering the
following criteria: a) work done and b) assimilation and internalization of the concepts
discussed.
2.6.9. Assessment questions
1. If I think that stealing in small shops is not so bad, since many people do it, I have a
negative thought (TRUE).
2. During an argument with a stranger who has pushed you, you think the other person
deserves to be put in his place and you have to show him you are not a coward. This
distorted thought will probably lead to non-antisocial behaviour such as, for example,
talking to that person quietly to solve the conflict (FALSE).
3. If you justify your aggression towards that person by thinking that you would not
have broken his nose if he had not pushed you, then you are making an external
attribution for your antisocial/violent behaviour (TRUE).
3. SESSION
THOUGHTS
2:
ASSESSMENT
OF
DISTORTED
This questionnaire includes the four most frequent categories of cognitive distortions in
young offenders which are related to antisocial behaviour. The checking is as follows:
- Self-centred thinking: sum of items 3, 7, 10, 22, 28, 37, 42, 52, 54
- Blaming others: sum of items 6, 11, 21, 25, 26, 36, 39, 44, 46, 50
- Minimizing and/or justifying: sum of items 5, 12, 14, 17, 19, 30, 33, 40, 47
- Assuming the worst: sum of items 2, 8, 15, 18, 23, 29, 32, 35, 43, 49, 53
After completing the questionnaire, the practitioner points out that they should add up
the scores obtained for each of the 4 categories of cognitive distortions, and the scores
obtained for each scale are shown on Sheet 4.2.2. My profile of distorted thoughts.
Then the practitioner asks each member of the group to present their data and to show
the 3 thoughts with the highest scores on each of the scales. At the end, they get a
personal profile that they have to represent with a line in the chart below.
Sheet 4.2.2.
MY PERSONAL PROFILE OF DISTORTED THOUGHTS
Instructions: with the data obtained after checking the questionnaire, represent in this chart the scores you
obtained on each of the scales by joining them with a line. Then answer the questions that follow.
60
55,0
50,0
50
45,0
45,0
Minimum
40
Average
27,5
30
25,0
22,5
Maximu
m
22,5
20
10
0,0
0,0
0,0
0,0
0
Self-centered
thinking
Blaming others
Minimizing or
justifying
Asuming the
worst
thoughts and the way we behave when faced with certain events in our lives. Since we
are little, we learn to interpret the events in our lives by developing a series of thoughts,
emotions and behaviours that become automated, because we repeat them many times
over the years, and they are repeated in a circular way.
On Sheet 4.2.3. Graphical representation of the circle of distorted thinking we can
see graphically a hypothetical relationship between the different elements following the
model proposed:
A[antecedent] B [THOUGHS about A] C [consequences: emotions and
behaviours that stem from thoughts]
Behaviour
I argue with the
shopkeeper, but he
doesnt listen to
reason and I end up
stealing the drinks and
run away.
DISTORTED
THOUGHTS
I have to get the
drinks no matter how,
whatever it takes.
This Chinese man is
not going to spoil the
party.
Emotions
- Anger
- Rage
- Annoyance
- Anxiety
Next, the same example is presented on Sheet 4.2.4. Example about a circle of
restructured thinking, but in this case, a cognitive restructuring is done, together with
all the members of the group, in order to learn to develop new thoughts, emotions and
ways of behaving in situations that previously triggered an antisocial/criminal
behaviour. The circle of restructured thinking refers to the ultimate goal a young
offender has to attain as he learns to replace the distorted thoughts with others which are
more consistent with a lifestyle alternative to delinquency.
Sheet 4.2.4.
EXAMPLE ABOUT A CIRCLE OF RESTRUCTURED THINKING
Antecedents
Well go street drinking tonight. Ill take care of buying the alcoholic
drinks at the Chinese shop in my neighbourhood. However, Im asked for
my ID, and as Im under age, I wont be sold alcohol.
Behaviour
I accept it and leave
the shop, then try to
find alternatives to
remedy the situation.
RESTRUCTURED
THOUGHTS
I cant always get my
way. Actually, hes right;
hes doing his job and if
hes caught selling
drinks to a minor he
would have problems
Emotions
- Understanding
- Calmness
- Quietness
With the aim of implementing the concept of circle of distorted thinking, each
participant is asked to prepare his own circle by analysing the data provided on Sheet
4.1.6. Justification for the criminal act for which I am here from the previous session.
They are also asked to complete Sheet 4.2.5. My circle of distorted thinking.
Sheet 4.2.5.
MY CIRCLE OF DISTORTED THINKING
Instructions: complete your own circle of distorted thinking in connection with the events for which you
are here
Antecedents
Behaviour
DISTORTED
THOUGHTS
Emotions
Once the circle of distorted thinking has been completed and analysed as a group, the
participants are asked to individually try to make a cognitive restructuring of the
antisocial situation for which they are having treatment. They will work on Sheet 4.2.6.
My circle of restructured thinking, and will follow the previous example. Once the
activity is over, the answers are shared. We must stress the importance, firstly, of
identifying the distorted thoughts and, secondly, of being able to replace them with
others which are more adaptive in order to overcome delinquency.
Sheet 4.2.6.
MY CIRCLE OF RESTRUCTURED THOUGHT
Instructions: complete your own circle of restructured thinking by making a cognitive restructuring of the
situation considered
Antecedents
Behaviour
RESTRUCTURED
THOUGHTS
Emotions
nervous and takes a knife from the drawer. Before Javier can react, the shopkeeper stabs
him in the stomach. Javier falls to the ground. Seeing that their plan has failed, they feel
disappointed.
Antecedents
Behaviour
DISTORTED
THOUGHTS
Emotions
To finish this activity, we can ask the participants, as an activity for the next session, to
make a circle of restructured thinking, applying it to the case of Carlos and Javiers theft
on Sheet 4.2.8. Applying the circle of restructured thinking to Jos and Carlos theft.
Sheet 4.2.8.
APPLYING THE CIRCLE OF RESTRUCTURED THINKING TO JOS AND
CARLOS THEFT
Instructions: now complete the circle of restructured thinking by making a cognitive restructuring of the
situation proposed
Antecedents
Behaviour
RESTRUCTURED
THOUGHTS
Emotions
4. SESSION
THOUGHTS
3:
CONSEQUENCES
OF
DISTORTED
Sheet 4.3.6. Short-term consequences of my thoughts and behaviour for me and for
others
Sheet 4.3.7. Long-term consequences of my thoughts and behaviour for me and for
others
Sheet 4.3.8. Assessing the short-term consequences of the case
Sheet 4.3.9. Assessing the long-term consequences of the case
4.6. DEVELOPMENT OF THE SESSION
4.6.1. Activity 1: Review of the supplementary activity
We review the circle of distorted thinking proposed as a supplementary activity in the
previous session, analysing accurately the distorted thoughts that arise and their
relationship with the rest of the elements described.
4.6.2. Activity 2: Consequences of distorted thoughts
The aim of this activity is for participants to understand, clearly and easily, the
relationship between distorted thoughts and their consequences. We will start from the
review of the supplementary activity to introduce the topic: as you have just seen in the
circles of distorted thoughts, antisocial/offending or inappropriate behaviours are
associated with a series of inadequate or distorted thoughts that have a decisive
influence on our having that behaviour. Those distorted thoughts have a number of
consequences that result from a young persons antisocial/offending behaviour. Those
consequences can be immediate (short-term) or more distant in time (long-term).
Lets see an example: youre at home watching your favourite TV show. Your brother
appears and takes the remote control because he wants to change channels. You think,
its always him; whenever I can relax and watch what I like for a while, in he comes
and all he does is annoy me. You ask him to give you the remote control back, but he
doesnt want to. You get very angry and end up kicking him. You take away the remote
and continue watching your favourite show, but your brother doesnt like being hit and
decides to never lend you anything else. Besides, he tells your parents, who begin to
punish you for behaviours similar to this one.
What would the immediate, short-term consequences be? You have the remote control
and watch your favourite programme. What about the long-term consequences? The
relationship with your brother becomes more difficult and your parents keep an eye on
you, imposing harsher punishments.
The practitioner is to emphasize the idea that short-term consequences are usually
positive and related to the achievement of a goal, while long-term consequences tend to
be negative and more centred on the consequences of deviant behaviour in different
environments: personal, family, interpersonal, etc.
Then, Sheet 4.3.1. Short-term consequences is handed out to improve the
understanding of this type of consequences. First, we analyse the example suggested,
and then participants provide a personal example which must also be analysed.
Sheet 4.3.1.
SHORT-TERM CONSEQUENCES
Instructions: analyse the example suggested and then describe a personal situation of your own
Situation
Thoughts
Events/behaviour
Consequences
As a punishment, I cant accept it, I have to Stealing from a shop I get the money I
Im not getting any do something
in the neighbourhood needed, I feel good, I
pocket money for a They will laugh at me
go to the party and
month and I have no I cant miss the party
have a great time
money to go out
tonight.
My example:
Then Sheet 4.3.2. Long-term consequences is handed out and the participants carry
out the same analysis as in the previous page, but focusing now on the long-term
consequences.
Sheet 4.3.2.
LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES
Instructions: analyse the example suggested and then describe a personal situation of your own
Situation
Thoughts
Events/behaviour
Consequences
As a punishment, I cant accept it, I have to Stealing from a shop - The police arrest me
in the neighbourhood after conducting a
Im not getting any do something
research.
pocket money for a They will laugh at me
- My parents punish
month and I have no I cant miss the party
me for a long time for
money to go out
what I have done.
tonight.
My example:
THOUGHTS
FEELINGS
BEHAVIOUR
-Weve been
here for a
while and cant
think of
anything to do
-This woman
appears to be a
little crazy
- Boredom
- Sitting in the
park, smoking
cigarettes and
joints
- Insulting her
and running
after her
- Livening up
when you see
the woman
CONSEQUENCES
FOR ME
- Positive: laughing,
enjoying seeing a
persons suffering.
- Negative: were
seen by the police
and taken to the
police station
CONSEQUENCES
FOR OTHERS
- Negative: the
woman is scared,
falls and breaks her
ankle
Sheet 4.3.4.
LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES OF MY WAY OF THINKING FOR ME AND
FOR OTHERS
Instructions: read the situation proposed and pay attention to the long-term consequences
Its Saturday afternoon and youre with your friends in the park, smoking cigarettes and joints. You
and your friends agree: Weve been here for a long time and cant think of anything interesting to
do. You all have feelings of boredom. Suddenly, you see a woman walk in the park with a strange
appearance. Its summer and the woman is wearing a jacket, boots and a headscarf. You think: this
woman appears to be a little crazy and you begin to insult her. She replies to your insults and one of
your friends runs to her; the woman runs away and falls, breaking her ankle. The police, who walk by,
see everything and take you and your friends to the police station.
CONSEQUENCES CONSEQUENCES
THOUGHTS
FEELINGS
BEHAVIOUR
FOR ME
FOR OTHERS
- Positive: none
- Positive: none
- Sitting in the
- Boredom
-Weve been
- Negative: I have to - Negative: the
park, smoking
here for a long
woman cant work
work to pay
cigarettes and
time and cant
for months due to a
compensation for
joints
think of anything
slow recovery.
injuries, I get no
interesting to do
My family is the talk
pocket money and
of the town, my
Im punished on a
- Insulting her
- Livening up
-This woman
parents dont trust me
permanent basis
and running
when you see
appears to be a
after her
the woman
little crazy
Through these examples, we will continue emphasizing the idea that short-term
consequences are often positive and long-term consequences are often negative.
However, now we have highlighted that, with regard to others, the consequences are
almost always negative.
To continue going more deeply into these concepts, it is advisable to do the exercises
presented on Sheet 4.3.5. More examples of consequences, either individually or as a
group.
Sheet 4.3.5.
MORE EXAMPLES OF CONSEQUENCES
Instructions: keep analysing possible consequences for these examples
CONSEQUENCES FOR
SITUATION
THOUGHTS
ME
Hes done it on
While Im walking
down the street, I trip purpose
- Short-term:
I cant be taken
on someones foot
for a fool
and fall. Without
thinking, I push him, They will laugh - Long-term:
at me
even though he has
apologized to me.
CONSEQUENCES FOR
OTHERS
- Short-term:
- Long-term:
Im walking with my
brother and I ask him
to lend me his
mobile phone, but he
doesnt want to. I
give him a slap on
the back of the neck
and then he lends it
to me.
A guy in a disco tries
to kiss my girlfriend.
I see it from a
distance, then go
towards him and
punch him. Im
thrown out of the
disco.
He doesnt lend
it to me just to
tease me
If I ask him for
it, he has to lend
it to me
Hes laughing at
me
My girl is mine
and
nobody
elses
I cant sit back
and do nothing
- Short-term:
- Short-term:
- Long-term:
- Long-term:
- Short-term:
- Short-term:
- Long-term:
- Long-term:
The participants answers are discussed to check the understanding of the different types
of consequences considered. Finally, as a group, we could discuss the consequences of
the following behaviours: stealing from a cash dispenser, jumping the supermarket
queue, staring at a person on the tube, having unprotected sex, insulting a classmate
thinking she cant hear me, stealing money from my mothers purse, meeting a friends
boyfriend in secret, to speak ill of people who are not present, accepting drugs from
strangers, stealing drinks from a nightclub bar and drinking them, getting in a car with
strangers, going to the park with people who belong to gangs.
4.6.4. Activity 4: The consequences of my behaviour
This activity is intended for the participants to apply what they have learnt to their
personal situation, becoming truly aware of the short and long-term consequences, both
positive and negative, both for themselves and for others. Sheets 4.3.6. Short-term
consequences of my thoughts and behaviour for me and for others and 4.3.7. Longterm consequences of my thoughts and behaviour for me and for others are handed out,
pointing out that they will have to analyse the consequences of their distorted way of
thinking in connection with the events for which they are in the centre.
Sheet 4.3.6.
SHORT-TERM CONSEQUENCES OF MY THOUGHTS AND BEHAVIOUR
FOR ME AND FOR OTHERS
Instructions: analyse the short-term consequences for each of the categories included in connection
with the events for which you are in the centre
Negative thoughts you had:
Offending behaviour:
FOR MYSELF
FOR OTHERS
Positive
Negative
Positive
Negative
Sheet 4.3.7.
LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES OF MY THOUGHTS AND BEHAVIOUR
FOR ME AND FOR OTHERS
Instructions: analyse the long-term consequences for each of the categories included in connection
with the events for which you are in the centre
Negative thoughts you had:
Offending behaviour:
FOR MYSELF
FOR OTHERS
Positive
Negative
Positive
Negative
We will mainly discuss the antisocial/criminal act for which they are in the centre.
Alternatively or additionally (precautionary measures), other previous situations or
antisocial behaviours could be analysed.
4.6.5. Activity 5: Supplementary activity
In order to consolidate the knowledge acquired, in the interval between this session and
the next, the participants will analyse all types of consequences seen during this session
with the help of a specific case. To this end, Sheets 4.3.8. Assessing the short-term
consequences of the case and 4.3.9. Assessing the long-term consequences of the
case will be handed out.
Sheet 4.3.8.
ASSESSING THE SHORT-TERM CONSEQUENCES OF THE CASE
Instructions: analyse the short-term consequences for each of the categories included in connection
with the situation described.
Tito has arranged to meet his friends at Jorges house to spend the night together, as Jorges parents
are away. They have already seen two films; they are having a good time, but everyone thinks about
what else they could do to continue enjoying the night. They think they could go to the fiestas in a
neighbouring village. Tito thinks, we would have a great time, it would be an unforgettable night,
Im sure nobody will know about it, why should anything bad happen? Tito is in high spirits and
excited at the idea of going out. In order to travel there, they decide to go to the garage and steal a car
that is easy to open.
FOR THE MAIN CHARACTER
FOR OTHERS
Positive
Negative
Positive
Negative
Sheet 4.3.9.
ASSESSING THE LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES OF THE CASE
Instructions: analyse the long-term consequences for each of the categories included in connection
with the situation described.
Tito has arranged to meet his friends at Jorges house to spend the night together, as Jorges parents
are away. They have already seen two films; they are having a good time, but everyone thinks about
what else they could do to continue enjoying the night. They think they could go to the fiestas in a
neighbouring village. Tito thinks, we would have a great time, it would be an unforgettable night,
Im sure nobody will know about it, why should anything bad happen? Tito is in high spirits and
excited at the idea of going out. In order to travel there, they decide to go to the garage and steal a car
that is easy to open.
FOR THE MAIN CHARACTER
FOR OTHERS
Positive
Negative
Positive
Negative
5. SESSION 4:
THOUGHTS (I)
MODIFICATION
OF
DISTORTED
Two more drinks and thats it; I can cope. Today I have to get a little
tipsy, because the last few weeks have been horrible. These girls are all
a bunch of spoilt brats; they are loaded, so if I steal any of their bags
they wont even notice; its fair. I cant stand people like them; they
know nothing about life; its not fair that they have no problems in
their lives. Besides, look at the way they dance, theyre teasing me and
I wont control myself. Look, theyre leaving. Actually, theyre afraid of
me.
While writing on the board the questions related to each of the criteria in connection
with the two positions for change -as a young offender and as a non-offender-, the
practitioner says: The evidence criterion helps us to assess what evidence we have to
maintain that negative thought. The usefulness criterion helps us to see the advantages
we get from that distorted way of thinking by contrasting a young offenders lifestyle
with that of a non-offender. This is to make them understand that this whole process of
change is aimed at shaping a new lifestyle alternative to delinquency.
Then we focus on the examples on Sheet 4.4.1. Applying the criteria to assess
distorted thoughts. The practitioner can draw a column for each criterion on the
blackboard (evidence criterion/usefulness criterion), each of them with two positions
(young offender/non-offender). The participants are asked to write down, on Sheet
4.4.1. Applying the criteria to assess distorted thoughts, the most relevant answers
that come up during the discussion.
The implementation of this technique of cognitive restructuring can be carried out for
each of the cases on Sheet 4.1.4. Distorted thoughts. Then we will analyse the first
case. Once the process is understood, we can continue with the following cases. To
make the situations more real, we will ask the participants to put themselves in the main
characters shoes and to consider that those situations have happened to them at some
point in their lives. The participants manual includes worksheets for each of the
situations on Sheet 4.1.4. Distorted thoughts.
Sheet 4.4.1.
APPLYING THE CRITERIA FOR ASSESSING DISTORTED THOUGHTS
Situation: Antonio is a 16-year-old teenager whose family has many economic problems. They cant
buy him the designer clothes he likes so much and all his friends wear. After urging his mother to buy
him some trainers he wants, she refuses to buy them. Antonio gets very angry and nervous; he pushes
his mother, who falls to the ground.
Distorted Thoughts: Its always the same; she never wants to buy me anything I ask for. Im sure
she has the money, but prefers to spend it on her whims. What will my friends say? Everyone will
laugh at me. Its not fair; if she loved me as much as she says, she would buy me the trainers. Shes
doing this to punish me. My mother wont buy me the trainers. I cant stand her, Im fed up. She never
understands me. She should be more considerate towards me.
Resulting emotion: Angry, with internal rage.
EVIDENCE CRITERION
USEFULNESS CRITERION
What advantages do I get from that way of What advantages do I get from that way of
thinking? Does it help me to feel good? Am I thinking? Does it help me to feel good? Am I
happier by thinking that way?
happier by thinking that way?
As an offender
As a non-offender
As an offender
As a non-offender
- Thats what Ive - When my mother says - When Ive been angry, - Im so used to
always thought. Every no, Im sure she does it Ive almost always pressuring others that
time she says no to for my own good and made my mother give I dont pay attention
something I ask for, to avoid suffering me what I asked her for. to how they feel when
- When my mother they say no.
she does it to annoy hardships at home.
- My mother has the accepts my requests, I - The only thing I
me.
- Thinking this way responsibility for the feel great because I get think about is how I
feel and I always want
gives me strength to family and I have to my own way.
to
be
despise her and not learn not to pressure - Since Ive always things
feel any affection for her into giving me thought like this, if I get immediate.
what I put my mind to, I - I havent really
everything I want.
her.
learnt to enjoy things
- Im used to doing - If I had a little more feel good about myself.
by
getting
them
what I want and I self-esteem, Id try to
myself; its always
dont like to be save or find a job to get
other people that
my own money without
contradicted.
satisfy my needs.
and
- My friends are going pressuring
- If my friends really
to notice that the upsetting my mother.
care about me, they
trainers Im wearing - Im sure my friends
will appreciate me for
are very bad and Im a wont look down on me
what I am and not for
for not wearing the new
fool.
the trainers I wear.
trainers.
- Im the one to blame
for thinking that others
will laugh at me just
because of the trainers.
Restructured Thoughts: My mother has told me that she cant buy me the trainers. Perhaps we are
badly off for money at home now. My mother is also spending less money and she doesnt buy any
whims for herself either. Id love to have those trainers, but its not the end of the world. I can buy
them later. Anyway, it doesnt help to get angry with her. I will only make her completely refuse to
buy me the trainers. Id better try to negotiate with her for getting some money if I do some household
chores. Sometimes its difficult to live with my mother, but most of the times I need something, she
tries to help me.
Resulting emotion: More quiet and calm.
With the aim of acquiring more practice, the participants are asked to individually
restructure the following situation on Sheet 4.1.4. Distorted thoughts. Once they
finish, the results are shared. The practitioner will structure all the information provided
by the participants until the process is completed.
Sheet 4.4.2.
RESTRUCTURING DISTORTED THOUGHTS
Situation: Natalia hasnt smoked cannabis for 6 months, since she was arrested by the police for drug
use in the neighbourhood park. Last Saturday she had a traffic accident and shes in pain; she has her
leg in plaster. Natalia thinks that if she smoked a joint, the pain would lessen and she would feel
better; thats why she starts smoking cannabis again.
Distorted Thoughts: I cant stand it any more, this pain is unbearable... its not fair that this
accident happened to me... Im stupid, if only I hadnt ridden the motorcycle... I cant take it
anymore... I should take something to ease this pain. I remember people say that cannabis is used by
doctors, Im sure its good. Besides, it will be just this time... my parents should understand it if I
smoked a joint to relieve this pain. Everyone would do the same in my situation. Unless I take
something to calm down, this pain wont change. If the pain stopped, I wouldnt have to take anything.
What if they tell me that the fracture is not going well? The doctor who has checked me today seemed
to be worried. Thats because of my leg! I will have to be operated on... breaking your leg is the worst
thing that can happen to you!
Resulting emotion: Sad, angry
USEFULNESS CRITERION
EVIDENCE CRITERION
What advantages do I get from that way of What advantages do I get from that way of
thinking? Does it help me to feel good? Am I thinking? Does it help me to feel good? Am I
happier by thinking that way?
happier by thinking that way?
As an offender
As a non-offender
As an offender
As a non-offender
Restructured Thoughts: Id rather I hadnt broken my leg, but thats something I cant change
now. It was an accident. I wish it didnt hurt so much, but its not so terrible. I can bear it. Ive gone
through worse situations and I didnt need to smoke. So I think now I can do it too. Smoking is
damaging me a lot, I breathe worse now, Im more irritable and Ive noticed that I find it harder to
understand things. Ill find another way to soothe the pain. Ill talk to the doctor on my next visit. Now
Ill try to find something to do.
Resulting emotion: More quiet and calm.
If necessary, the practitioner can keep practicing cognitive restructuring. To this end, he
can use the list of interpersonal and intrapersonal situations included on Appendix 1, at
the end of this module.
5.6.4. Activity 4: Changing my own thoughts
This activity is intended for participants to apply the two criteria to their own distorted
thoughts in connection with the offending situation for which they are in the centre. To
this end, each participant fills in Sheet 4.4.3. Steps to change my distorted thoughts,
describing the criminal act for which they are serving a sentence and the characteristic
thoughts of this way of behaving together with their associated feelings. After that, they
apply the criteria in order to make a cognitive restructuring of their own cognitive
distortions.
Sheet 4.4.3.
STEPS TO CHANGE MY DISTORTED THOUGHTS
Instructions: now analyse your own distorted thoughts associated with the offending behaviour for
which you are here. Then apply the criteria and suggest restructured thoughts.
Situation:
Distorted thoughts:
Resulting emotion:
EVIDENCE CRITERION
What advantages do I get from that way of
thinking? Does it help me to feel good? Am I
happier by thinking that way?
As an offender
As a non-offender
USEFULNESS CRITERION
What advantages do I get from that way of
thinking? Does it help me to feel good? Am I
happier by thinking that way?
As an offender
As a non-offender
Restructured thoughts:
Resulting emotion:
When the activity is finished, the practitioner will give the following explanation: we
have reached the last step. As you see, its a simple process that begins with the
detection and identification of thoughts, then we assess them with the criteria and,
finally, we replace them with other thoughts that are more rational and adaptive.
Sheet 4.4.4 Steps to change distorted thoughts includes a table with a summary of the
steps necessary to carry out a cognitive restructuring.
Sheet 4.4.4.
STEPS TO CHANGE DISTORTED THOUGHTS
Detection and identification of distorted thoughts
The practitioner finishes this activity with a summary in which he must highlight the
way of thinking that stems from a young offenders lifestyle as opposed to a nonoffender. Finally, as a group, we work on the participants distorted thoughts, discussing
the application of the criteria and the possible alternative thoughts (each participant
mentions his distorted thoughts, explains the application of the criteria and provides
alternative thoughts; the other participants can give their opinions about each case).
APPENDIX 1
COGNITIVE RESTRUCTURING
List of intrapersonal and interpersonal situations to make a cognitive restructuring. The
classification of the situations is presented; the situation, the distorted thoughts and the
restructured thoughts are described. The participants would have to apply the criteria of
evidence and usefulness of the distorted thoughts as Offenders and Non-offenders.
YOUNG OFFENDERS INTRAPERSONAL CONFLICT SITUATIONS
Classification
Situation
Coping with
negative
emotional
states
Antonio is a 16-year-old
teenager whose family has
many economic problems.
They cant buy him the
designer clothes he likes so
much and all his friends
wear. After urging his
mother to buy him some
trainers he wants, she
refuses to buy them.
Antonio gets very angry
and nervous; he pushes his
mother, who falls to the
ground.
Coping with
physical
conditions
Deviant
Thoughts
Its always the same; she
never wants to buy me
anything I ask for. Im sure she
has the money, but prefers to
spend it on her whims. What
will my friends say? Everyone
will laugh at me. Its not fair;
if she loved me as much as she
says, she would buy me the
trainers. Shes doing this to
punish me. My mother wont
buy me the trainers. I cant
stand her, Im fed up. She
never understands me. She
should be more considerate
towards me.
Non-deviant
Thoughts
My mother has told me
that she cant buy me
the trainers. Perhaps we
are badly off for money
at home now. My mother
is also spending less
money and she doesnt
buy any whims for
herself either. Id love to
have those trainers, but
its not the end of the
world. I can buy them
later. Anyway, it doesnt
help to get angry with
her. I will only make her
completely refuse to buy
me the trainers. Id
better try to negotiate
with her for getting
some money if I do some
household chores.
Sometimes it is difficult
to live with my mother,
but most of the times I
need something, she
tries to help me.
Id rather I hadnt
broken my leg, but thats
something I cant
change now. It was an
accident. I wish it didnt
hurt so much, but its
not so terrible. I can
bear it. Ive gone
through worse situations
and I didnt need to
smoke. So I think now I
can do it too. Smoking is
damaging me a lot, I
breathe worse now, Im
more irritable and Ive
noticed that I find it
harder to understand
things. Ill find another
way to soothe the pain.
Testing
personal
control
Giving in to
temptation
and wish
Situation
Coping with
interpersonal
conflicts
Social
pressure
Deviant
Thoughts
Whats the matter with this
guy? Every time I move away
from my girlfriend, he comes
up to talk to her. Hes very full
of himself, and he thinks he can
get off with all the girls. Im
sure he wants to take away my
girl. Does he think he can
laugh at me? What about her?
She shouldnt be talking to
him; this girls always paying
attention to other guys. She
seems to like making me
jealous. Even though I have
told her a thousand times not
to fool around with others, the
following weekend she does it
again... All girls are shameless
hussies. My friends must have
noticed; thats why they say
Im a wimp, because I dont
assert myself. Being my
girlfriend, she should respect
me more.
Non-deviant
Thoughts
This guys talking to my
girlfriend. From his
expression, he doesnt
seem to be challenging
me. I dont know what
theyre talking about,
but the relationship with
my girlfriend is going
well. Weve never talked
about breaking up, so I
have nothing to be
afraid of. Shes never
been unfaithful to me.
Anyway, if she wants to
leave me, shell do it, no
matter what I do to stop
her. By having a jealous
behaviour, Ill just get
her to go away from me.
When they finish talking,
I can ask her what they
have been talking about
and check whether there
really is danger to my
relationship.
Enhancing
positive
emotional
states
6. SESSION 5:
THOUGHTS (II)
MODIFICATION
OF
DISTORTED
Identifying the
negative thought
Verbal expression
of the thought
Applying the
chosen stimulus
Alternative
thought
Then, the practitioner practices the development of the technique with the participants.
As a stimulus, we could choose, for example, a simple word (e.g. STOP). The situation
we have to practice could be: imagine you are in the park with your friends, sitting on
a bench. Opposite you there is another group of boys. They are drinking alcohol and a
little nervous. They start to pick on you and insult you. They say you are a chicken. Your
friends tell you not to be afraid, because theyre just some kids and they should get what
they deserve. Then, you think you cant let them laugh at you like that, as youll be left
looking like a fool, so you have to confront them. When the participants have put
themselves in the situation, they must identify the distorted thoughts and implement the
chosen stimulus, as well as suggest alternative thoughts or tasks to carry out at that
moment.
The practitioner says: the important thing is to use stimuli that are suitable for you;
that is, if you find it easier to stamp your foot or bang on a table with your hand, instead
of using the word STOP, then you must do that. You must also consider that doing this
at home or here is not the same as doing it in the street, where you will have to find
more subtle actions, like wearing a hair rubber band on your wrist, pulling it and let go
of it to hit your wrist. What other stimuli do you think we could use? (The answers are
written on the board for each participant to choose the one that best fits his situation).
Next, the practitioner emphasizes: you mustnt forget that replacing the distorted
thought with an alternative one is as important as having stopped that thought. That is,
once we apply the chosen stimulus, we have to replace that distorted thought with a
more adaptive one or start any activity or task that distracts us from that thought.
Then Sheet 4.5.1. Practicing negative thought stopping is handed out and the
participants are asked to answer the questions and describe the thought stopping
method, pointing out the alternative thoughts or distraction tasks that could be applied.
In the last example, they must also describe their own particular situation with regard to
the commission of their present offence.
Sheet 4.5.1.
PRACTICING NEGATIVE THOUGHT STOPPING
Instructions: read the examples and answer the questions that follow
- Situation 1: You are playing a football match. The match is against a neighbouring team, so there is
a lot of rivalry. At a given point during the match, you bump into the player who is marking you. He is
constantly tackling you, but the referee does not think it is punishable. After a tackle, you insult your
opponent, which leads to a fight between both teams. Once the situation is calm, you are the only
player that is sent off. Your coach and teammates reproach you for the way you have behaved. Given
this response, you leave the stadium puzzled by your teammates reaction and you take the money the
team has obtained from the ticket sales.
What negative thoughts could you have had?
Describe the implementation of thought stopping on this case, pointing out the alternative
thoughts you could have or the tasks you could carry out.
- Situation 2: Youre a student of 2nd year of Bachillerato. You find studying very difficult. After
committing yourself to pass, in the second four-month period you take the exams, but they dont
reflect the effort you have made. Your teachers tell you that the study techniques you use may not be
giving the expected result. Given this statement, you feel upset and dont hesitate to throw one of your
books to your tutor.
What negative thoughts could you have had?
Describe the implementation of thought stopping on this case, pointing out the alternative
thoughts you could have or the tasks you could carry out.
- My case:
What negative thoughts could you have had?
Describe the implementation of thought stopping on this case, pointing out the alternative
thoughts you could have or the tasks you could carry out.
Finally, there is a group debate on the first two questions, while the thought stopping
method is tackled individually for the two fictitious cases and the real one.
Self-reinforcement
USEFULNESS
We focus our attention on the state of relaxation, so we
block the negative thought.
We stop the negative thought with a more positive and
adaptive one that guides us to handle the situation.
We give ourselves a verbal reinforcement (youve done
it, youre great) when we change a negative thought or
when, in advance, we stop the distorted thought and
replace it with a more appropriate one.
Based on the personal example described by each participant in the previous activity,
we ask them to give examples about these methods. Depending on the time needed,
some of the methods described by the participants could be put into practice.
6.6.4. Activity 4: Looking ahead
Finally, we have thought of an activity to help the participants become aware of the
implementation of these techniques of cognitive restructuring, both in private situations
and other types of situations. We expect them to plan possible high-risk situations in
which distorted/negative thoughts can arise in different areas of their lives,
distinguishing how to implement each method on each context. After explaining this
idea, we hand out Sheet 4.5.3. Situations where I can have distorted thoughts and ask
them to fill it in. Finally, we present the ideas and make a final conclusion.
Sheet 4.5.3.
SITUATIONS WHERE I CAN HAVE DISTORTED THOUGHTS
Instructions: think of other situations in which you can have distorted thoughts and answer the following
questions
1. In what situations can my negative thoughts arise again?
- Personal:
- With my family
- With my friends
- With my classmates or workmates:
- In the street, with a stranger:
- In the centre:
2. Can I apply the methods learnt in the same way whether Im at home or in my room, or in the middle of
the street or in the park?
- Which of them would change?
- What part of the methods should I change?
- Which of them could I apply in the same way?
MODULE V
Modification of aggressive
habits
Next, the theoretical concepts are applied to various aggressive behaviours exhibited by
young people, so that the participants understand the importance of their behaviour and
the relationship with the environment. We work on Sheet 5.1.2 Applying the concept of
aggression with a simple case; the activity is done as a group, all together.
Sheet 5.1.2.
APPLYING THE CONCEPT OF AGGRESSION
Daniel is 15 and has been grounded for two weekends. He says he cannot stand his 12-year-old little
sister, because she is spoiled, and every time he sees her, he cant resist the urge to insult her, pull her
hair or give her a slap on the back of the neck. Moreover, Daniel loves to spy on her room, destroying
her favourite poster every time she fixes it with sticky tape. He also tells his friends that she is a liar and
he does not feel loved by her since the day she was ill with fever and his parents asked him to look after
her; he left her alone when a friend called him to play football. When his parents came home, they found
her in a state of dehydration due to fever and had to take her to casualty.
Daniels case is discussed with the participants, making sure that they understand the
concepts explained through the examples included in the story. After reading the case,
the practitioner asks the questions listed in Table 5.1.1. Questions about Daniels
case.
Table 5.1.1.
QUESTIONS ABOUT DANIELS CASE
- What aggressive behaviours do you notice in Daniel and what types are they?
Insulting (psychological, direct, active), hair pulling (physical, direct, active), kicking (physical, direct,
active), destroying the poster (physical, indirect, active), saying she is a liar (psychological, indirect,
active), leaving her alone when she was ill (passive).
- Is there any form of passive aggression? (Leaving her alone when she was ill)
- Before learning all I have explained, did you really think that these behaviours were aggressive? What
has made you change your mind?
- Who suffers the consequences of Daniels aggression?
- What about his parents? (regarding the fact that her sister becomes dehydrated and her health is at
risk).
This activity is finished with a summary of the concept of aggression and its
classification.
2.6.2. Activity 2: Is my behaviour aggressive?
In this activity we will have another look at the characteristics of the participants
antisocial acts that have been described in session 1 of Module 1 and throughout the
entire programme.
The practitioner tells the participants to complete Sheet 5.1.3. Characterization of
aggressive behaviour, asking them to describe the antisocial acts they performed, both
the ones for which they are in the centre (or serving a sentence at present) and other
previous ones, analysing them now as aggressive behaviours. To make the task easier,
the first two cases make reference to hypothetical events related to situations of
intrapersonal and interpersonal aggression. If the participants have already verbalized
their offences or aggressive behaviours in previous sessions, the task can begin by
sharing the experiences, each of them remembering their specific situation aloud. The
practitioner will help them describe the behavioural characteristics of an aggressive act
in detail.
After the presentation of the activity, they are asked to put their particular case in
writing on Sheet 5.1.3. Characterization of aggressive behaviour.
Sheet 5.1.3.
CHARACTERIZATION OF AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR
Instructions: describe the aggressive behaviours you see in the following cases and in your personal
case
SITUATIONS
DESCRIPTION
1. Antonio is a 16-year-old teenager whose
family has many economic problems. They cant
buy him the designer clothes he likes so much
and all his friends wear. After urging his mother
to buy him some trainers he wants, she refuses
to buy them. Antonio gets very angry and
nervous; he pushes his mother, who falls to the
ground.
2. Pedro has asked his brother to lend him his
new trainers, but he has refused. He argues with
him; he thinks its unfair because he always
lends him everything he asks for. But his brother
doesnt give in. Pedro gets very angry; he didnt
expect it. In the end, Pedro ends up punching his
brother.
3. Describe the criminal acts for which you are
here.
4. Describe other antisocial acts you have
committed before.
Next, each participants criminal acts are classified according to the characteristics of
aggression seen on Sheet 5.1.1. Concept of aggression. The participants are asked to
explain their situations and then all members of the group together will analyse the
different aggressive behaviours.
This activity is finished with a summary given by each participant in which they have to
describe the characteristics of their aggressive behaviour on Sheet 5.1.4.
Characteristics of my aggressive behaviour, considering all that has been learnt.
Sheet 5.1.4.
CHARACTERISTICS OF MY AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR
Instructions: think about all that we have analysed and describe what your aggressive behaviour is
really like
Sheet 5.1.5.
HOW IS AGGRESSION LEARNT?
Aggressive behaviours are learnt through the consequences they have for those who perform
them. There are two types of consequences, known as positive reinforcement and negative
reinforcement. Both types of reinforcement share a characteristic: they make the behaviours that
generate them be repeated with increasing frequency.
1. Positive reinforcement: relationship that is established between aggressive behaviour and the
consequence it has. In this case, the consequence is positive, as it leads to a stimulus or action that is
pleasant to the person who carries it out. For example, snatching a bag in the street and getting money to
buy things I like. The behaviour would be snatching a bag and the consequence or positive
reinforcement would be the money I have obtained. I am likely to continue snatching bags, as long as
the appropriate conditions exist , so this aggressive behaviour will occur with increasing frequency.
2. Negative reinforcement: relationship that is established between aggressive behaviour and the
elimination of an aversive stimulus that appears frequently. For example, a young person is walking
down the street and another teenager stares defiantly at him. He approaches him and gives him a shove,
and says dont ever look at me like that again, and the teenager runs away. In this case, the aggressive
behaviour giving a shove results in getting rid of an unpleasant look that makes the young person feel
bad. If it is successful now, it is likely to be repeated again whenever the circumstances are similar to
the ones on this occasion. This relationship between aggressive behaviour and what the young person
gets from it is known as negative reinforcement: he eliminates something that is negative and unpleasant
to him.
After discussing the examples, the practitioner summarizes the concepts of positive and
negative reinforcement, explaining them as follows: as you see, the main reason why
an aggressive behaviour is repeated is the consequences it has for the person that
carries it out. This is known as positive reinforcement and is explained as the process by
which a particular behaviour is reinforced, i.e. it increases the probability of it
happening again and being repeated because of the consequences it has. Positive
reinforcement can involve material things or doing pleasant activities (e.g. money,
playing Wii and video games, buying designer clothes), social recognition (e.g. being
considered the best in the group of friends, praise, feeling powerful). For example, when
I hit a classmate, the rest of the class encourage me and praise me for having done it, I
gain fame among my classmates; or when I steal and get enough money to buy
something I wanted.
The other important process that also makes someone continue behaving in an
inappropriate manner is known as negative reinforcement, which involves getting rid of
something that is unpleasant. For example, when I hit a classmate and prevent him from
hitting me, or when I run away from home at night to avoid the punishment my parents
gave me.
Next, Sheet 5.1.7. Why is my aggressive behaviour maintained is handed out. We
explain that they have to point out, for each of the personal situations seen in Activity 2
of this session, what have the consequences been for this type of aggressive behaviours
to continue occurring, specifying whether it has been a positive or negative
reinforcement.
Sheet 5.1.7.
WHY IS MY AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR MAINTAINED?
Instructions: analyse the cases of activity 2 again, pointing out what type of reinforcement has taken place in
each case
DESCRIPTION OF
POSITIVE
NEGATIVE
SITUATIONS
THE AGGRESSIVE
REINFORCEMENT REINFORCEMENT
BEHAVIOUR
1. Antonio is a 16-year-old
teenager whose family has many
economic problems. They cant
buy him the designer clothes he
likes so much and all his friends
wear. After urging his mother to
buy him some trainers he wants,
she refuses to buy them.
Antonio gets very angry and
nervous; he pushes his mother,
who falls to the ground.
2. Pedro has asked his brother to
lend him his new trainers, but he
has refused. He argues with him;
he thinks its unfair because he
always lends him everything he
asks for. But his brother doesnt
give in. Pedro gets very angry;
he didnt expect it. In the end,
Pedro ends up punching his
brother.
3. Describe the criminal acts for
which you are here.
4. Describe other antisocial acts
you have committed before.
After this activity, the participants must write down, on Sheet 5.1.8. Why have I learnt
to behave aggressively?, the reasons why this way of behaving in certain situations of
their lives has been maintained over the years and is being consolidated as a way of
understanding their relationship with the world they live in.
Sheet 5.1.8.
WHY HAVE I LEARNT TO BEHAVE AGGRESSIVELY?
Instructions: point out the reasons why you think your aggressive behaviour has been maintained over
time
My aggressive behaviour has occurred repeatedly due to factors such as:
DESCRIPTION OF
THE AGGRESSIVE
BEHAVIOUR
POSITIVE
REINFORCEMENT
NEGATIVE
REINFORCEMENT
To see if they have understood the idea, Sheet 5.2.1. How has my aggressive
behaviour developed is handed out and we ask them to complete the table. The
practitioner will do the first two examples with them and then will ask them to analyse
their aggressive behaviours from acquisition to maintenance.
Sheet 5.2.1.
HOW HAS MY AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR DEVELOPED
SITUATION WITH
AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR
Aggressive behaviour with
positive reinforcement
Aggressive behaviour with
negative reinforcement
BEGINNING OR
ACQUISITION
Stealing bags in the street to
get money, threatening with a
knife
Insulting a person who looks
at me defiantly to make him
stop looking at me so that I
dont feel uncomfortable
CONSOLIDATION OR
MAINTENANCE
Robbing people, shops, petrol
stations, houses, cars, etc. with a
knife or a gun
Insulting and physically attacking
others in situations where I feel
uncomfortable or ill at ease
Characteristic behaviours of my
current offending behaviour
STARTING
AGE
CURRENT
AGE
12
Objects I wanted
16
Objects I wanted, my
friends
admiration.
Impressing girls.
Breaking rules
at school, at
home or in the
centre
Defying
teachers,
educators,
tutors, etc.
Taking drugs
My antisocial
behaviour
Once the three examples have been discussed and described in behaviour chains, we try
to find alternatives for each of the exercises suggested. With the help of Sheets 5.2.4
Seeking alternatives to aggression in an intrapersonal situation, 5.2.5. Seeking
alternatives to aggression in an interpersonal situation and 5.2.6. Seeking
alternatives to aggression regarding the offending behaviour for which I am here, the
participants are asked to think about different alternatives that were available to the
young person as opposed to the aggressive behaviour he has performed in each of the
previous examples. The first two examples can be done as a group, while the third case
and each participants own specific case can be done individually, putting them in
writing on Sheet 5.2.6. Seeking alternatives to aggression regarding the offending
behaviour for which I am here.
Once the search for alternatives in the first two examples is finished, each alternative in
each of the steps is given a score on a 0 to 10 scale, considering which one would be the
best for a young person who is learning to lead a life free of offending. The next step is
to describe an alternative behaviour by combining the best alternatives in each of the
steps listed (those with a score equal to or greater than 8).
The practitioner finishes the session asking the whole group what conditions would
make it more likely for them in the future to be able to respond to situations of personal
aggression both in intrapersonal and interpersonal situations following the steps listed
throughout the session.
Sheet 5.2.4.
SEEKING ALTERNATIVES TO AGGRESSION IN AN INTRAPERSONAL
SITUATION
Instructions: think about the alternatives that could be suggested for each behaviour link and describe
them
Situation: Its 6 months since Jorge left the young offenders centre. Hes attending group therapy and
hes very happy and motivated. Today he has got up in very high spirits, as its payday and hes going to
buy a present for his girlfriend, because its her birthday. After the group therapy, he goes to the bank to
withdraw money, but suffers a big disappointment, because the money isnt in the bank account yet. He
thinks about borrowing money from one of his best friends, so he goes to try to find him. His friend lives
in the neighbourhood where he used to steal, as its very easy to do it there. While hes waiting, anxious,
he cant stop thinking that he cant let his girlfriend down; shed be very angry if he didnt buy her a
present. The problem is that his friend cant lend him any money, because hes unemployed. When he
leaves his friends house, he decides to steal an old womans bag, as she walks past him. However, its no
use, as the woman had no more than 5 euros in the purse. He goes home without having bought the present.
His girlfriend notices that something has happened, but he denies it, so they argue.
AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOURS IN
STEPS OR LINKS
0-10
6
10
5
7
Sheet 5.2.5.
SEEKING ALTERNATIVES TO AGGRESSION IN AN INTERPERSONAL
SITUATION
Instructions: think about the alternatives that could be suggested for each behaviour link and describe
them
Situation: Sergio and his friends are walking round the outskirts of their neighbourhood. Theyre having
fun, horsing about, painting on old walls and throwing stones at the streetlights. The night would be perfect
and the excitement higher if they sneaked into old Pepes house and stole his motorbike to go for a ride. He
plans it with his friends and they end up doing it.
AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOURS IN
STEPS OR LINKS
0 10
Sheet 5.2.6.
SEEKING ALTERNATIVES TO AGGRESSION
OFFENDING BEHAVIOUR FOR WHICH I AM HERE
REGARDING
THE
Instructions: think about the alternatives that could be suggested for each link in the behaviour chain and
describe them; give each alternative a score from 0 to 10, taking into consideration the learning of
behaviours alternative to aggression.
Situation:
AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOURS IN
STEPS OR LINKS
1)
1)
2)
2
1)
2)
3)
1)
2)
4)
1)
2)
5)
1)
2)
6)
1)
2)
7)
1)
2)
8)
1)
2)
My alternative way of non-offending behaviour would be:
0 10
Another alternative task would involve watching a movie that shows aggressive
behaviours and analysing them following the proposed outline. For example, Barrio
(Fernando Len de Aranoa, 1998; Sogetel, Elas Querejeta P.C., Mact Productions and
M.G.N. Filmes), Fresh (Boaz Yakin, 1994; Miramax), Colegas (Eloy de la Iglesia,
1982; Divisa) or Cool (Theo Van Gogh, 2004; Column Productions).
3.6.5. Supplementary activity
In order to reinforce the understanding of the process of start, development and
consolidation/maintenance of aggressive behaviours, we recommend, as a
supplementary task, the analysis of a new instance of aggressive behaviour. They have
to analyse it, first, in behaviour chains; then they have to seek different alternatives of
behaviour for each step or link in the behaviour chain, as has been done in the previous
exercises. Sheet 5.2.7. Generalizing the learning of seeking alternatives includes the
example the participants will have to complete for the next session.
In this case they are asked to think of a plan of action to carry out the final alternative to
the aggressive behaviour that is described in the task.
Sheet 5.2.7.
GENERALIZING THE LEARNING OF SEEKING ALTERNATIVES
Instructions: think about the alternatives that could be suggested for each link in the behaviour chain and
describe them. Give each alternative a score from 0 to 10, taking into consideration the learning of
behaviours alternative to aggression. Finally, combining all the alternatives that have the highest score in
each step, a plan of action alternative to the original aggressive behaviour is prepared.
Situation: Natalia hasnt smoked cannabis for 6 months, since she was arrested by the police for drug use
in the neighbourhood park. Last Saturday she had a traffic accident and shes in pain; she has her leg in
plaster. Natalia knows that if she smoked a joint, the pain would lessen and she would feel better; thats
why she starts smoking cannabis again. As she has her leg in plaster, she cant go out, so she smokes in the
balcony. Yesterday her mother caught her smoking and started to reproach her for her behaviour. Natalia
gets very angry because her mother should understand her situation, but she doesnt. In view of her
mothers complaints, Natalia flies into a rage and hits her with the crutch.
AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOURS IN
ALTERNATIVES TO EACH STEP OR
0 10
STEPS OR LINKS
LINK IN THE CHAIN
1)
1)
2)
2
1)
2)
3)
1)
2)
4)
1)
2)
5)
1)
2)
6)
1)
2)
7)
1)
2)
8)
1)
2)
9)
1)
2)
10)
1)
2)
AND
INTERPERSONAL
SITUATIONS
OF
Instructions: describe the three intrapersonal situations and the three interpersonal situations where you
think you are more likely to behave in an aggressive or antisocial way
TYPE OF
DESCRIPTION OF THE SITUATION
SITUATION
1.
Intrapersonal
2.
3.
1.
Interpersonal
2.
3.
intrapersonal category and the other belonging to the interpersonal category, and we
will develop alternative ways of thinking, feeling and behaving in those situations.
To this end, on Sheet 5.3.2. Breaking the association between situations and antisocial
behaviours we will get the participants to study the alternatives to antisocial behaviour.
Then, there will be a group debate about the following question: what can I do to break
the connection between the situations described and the antisocial behaviour associated
with them? The answer necessarily requires following these steps: a) seeking
alternatives to aggressive thoughts, feelings and behaviour; b) explaining the concept of
breaking of the habit, or breaking of the association between antisocial behaviour in its
various manifestations (thoughts, feelings and behaviour) and the intrapersonal and
interpersonal situations of the young persons everyday life; c) what intervention
strategies can be adopted, out of the ones we have seen so far, to get the participants to
establish, through daily practice, a new association between these everyday situations
and the non-offending behaviour; d) implementing the alternatives proposed,
considering that change is achieved by repeating the alternative behaviour again and
again, until the young person feels that the new way of behaving is consistent with his
new lifestyle.
The practitioner does the first example of each category together with the participants
and the other situations are analysed individually.
Sheet 5.3.2.
BREAKING
THE
ASSOCIATION
ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
BETWEEN
SITUATIONS
EMOTIONS
Rage,
annoyance
anger,
AND
BEHAVIOUR
I insult him and slap
his face
Calm
EMOTIONS
BEHAVIOUR
EMOTIONS
BEHAVIOUR
EMOTIONS
BEHAVIOUR
EMOTIONS
BEHAVIOUR
EMOTIONS
BEHAVIOUR
This activity is finished with a personal plan of action for the coming weeks in which
the participants will make a daily schedule in order to practice the characteristic
alternative behaviours of a non-offending lifestyle. To that end, they will carry out these
activities for at least 15 minutes and, with the help of Sheet 5.3.3. Practicing a nonoffending lifestyle, they will rate how they think they have done with regard to the new
way of behaving and the degree of pleasure experienced, giving a score from 0 to 10.
They continue practicing with all the situations on Sheet 5.3.2. Breaking the
association between situations and antisocial behaviours.
Sheet 5.3.3.
PRACTICING A NON-OFFENDING LIFESTYLE
NON-DEVIANT
BEHAVIOUR
DEGREE OF
PLEASURE
[0-10]
Signature:
The participant
The therapist/practitioner
must give each participant a score from 0 to 10, considering the following criteria:
a) work done and b) assimilation and internalization of the concepts discussed.
4.6.6. Assessment questions
1. An important step to change my antisocial behaviour is to know in what situations it
usually occurs (TRUE).
2. In order to break the association between my antisocial behaviour and my everyday
situations, the only thing I have to do is seek alternatives to the criminal behaviours
(FALSE).
3. Thoughts related to my antisocial behaviour will change when my criminal
behaviours change (FALSE).
TYPE OF
SITUATION
Violent
behaviours in
intrapersonal
situations
DESCRIPTION OF VIOLENT
BEHAVIOURS
1.
2.
3.
1.
Violent
behaviours in
interpersonal
situations
2.
3.
The practitioner can choose an antisocial act of one of the participants, and then make
an accurate description of the acts or behaviours through which he has broken the law.
The practitioner also tries to describe how the participant has committed the offence and
then writes this example on the board using the following scheme:
a) Situation in which the act has taken place.
b) What the preparation of the offence was like.
c) Behaviours or acts performed by the young person which are considered to be
antisocial.
d) Description of the area in his neighbourhood or city where he has performed this
type of behaviours.
Once they have understood the process, they are asked to fill in Sheet 5.4.1. Identifying
the geographical areas of my antisocial acts, especially those neighbourhood or city
areas where they have performed such antisocial behaviours.
Participants are allowed to provide examples of their own.
5.6.3. Activity 3: Drawing the map of the neighbourhood and/or city where I have
committed my offending behaviours
Once we know the participants most characteristic antisocial behaviours, they draw a
map of the neighbourhood and/or city where they have performed them. The
practitioner will give each participant a blank sheet of paper and will tell them to draw
the map of their city or neighbourhood, and then to colour the characteristic routes for
each criminal behaviour, each in a different colour, following the description for each
offending behaviour on Sheet 5.4.1. Identifying the geographical areas of my
antisocial acts.
Once they have drawn the maps with their criminal routes individually, each participant
will explain aloud his favourite routes to perform behaviours that lead to the
commission of offences. The practitioner can ask each participant about the features of
their way of seeking offences. As a group, they may suggest alternatives of behaviour to
break the association between these contexts and the criminal act.
The most important thing in this activity is to provide the participants with an overall
view of how their deviant behaviour fits in the environment they live in.
5.6.4. Activity 4: Imagined exposure to my crime-seeking routes
In this activity, the practitioner will come back to the contents on Sheet 5.4.1.
Identifying the geographical areas of my antisocial acts, and the participants will
carry out an exposure to each of them in their imagination. The practitioner will ask
them to use the following method:
TO
CARRY
OUT
ACTIVITIES
Instructions: fill out the following commitment pointing out the leisure activities alternative to
antisocial behaviour that you are going to carry out
I, ...................................................................................................................., commit myself to carrying
out the following activities to strengthen a view of the neighbourhood and/or the city alternative to the
one associated with antisocial behaviour.
- Activity 1:
- Activity 2:
- Activity 3:
- Activity 4:
I will carry them out on the following days:..................................................................................................
during the following hours ..................................................................................... ......................................
and I will discover new sensations when carrying out new activities incompatible with offending
behaviour.
Signed:
The participant
The therapist/practitioner
MODULE VI
Personality and its
influence on social deviance
Finally, we will analyse the most positive or negative side of the concepts that the
participants have of themselves. We will also focus on their negative qualities, to the
effect that they should represent a mere difference as compared to other people or a
negative aspect in themselves, emphasizing the idea that there are certain characteristics
that distinguish us from others, but they do not imply negative qualities.
2.6.2. Activity 2: Analysing my qualities
This activity is intended for the participants to be able to analyse the thoughts and
emotions that are associated with the assessments one makes of oneself. The activity is
introduced as follows: you may not have noticed that your brain is always in constant
activity, thinking. In many cases, we arent even aware of it. Sometimes, when
something happens to us, when we do something, or in a given situation, we say things
to ourselves, we have a sort of interior monologue. Sometimes, we even say it aloud. I
dont know if you have noticed. For example, someone is walking down the street
leisurely and he stumbles on a slab sticking out from the pavement; then he may start
thinking how stupid I am, people will say Im so clumsy; I must be blind, how is it
possible I havent seen the bloody tile... Does it sound familiar? Has it ever happened to
you in another situation? Well, we can say to ourselves as many different things as there
are people on earth, so we are going to do an exercise to see what you say to yourselves
in different situations. All right?.
Sheet 6.1.2. Analysing my qualities is handed out, and we tell them that they must
answer the question in the different situations suggested.
Sheet 6.1.2.
ANALYSING MY QUALITIES
Instructions: answer the question in each of the situations suggested
- Situation 1: when you fail an exam, what do you say to yourself?
- Situation 2: when you make a mistake, what do you say to yourself?
- Situation 3: when you beat your friends at video games, what do you say to yourself?
- Situation 4: when you do something you know is wrong, what do you say to yourself?
Once they have finished, the ideas are presented and discussed. Next, two of the
situations are chosen (if possible, one that involves negative aspects and another that
involves positive aspects), and the participants are asked to complete Sheet 6.1.3. The
way I think, the way I feel, writing down the thoughts, emotions and behaviours that
apply in each case. The practitioner can use the example given in Table 6.1.1. Example
of analysis of positive and negative situations.
Sheet 6.1.3.
THE WAY I THINK, THE WAY I FEEL
Instructions: point out the thoughts, emotions and behaviour you would have in each case
- Situation 1:
THOUGHTS
EMOTIONS
BEHAVIOUR
- Situation 2:
THOUGHTS
EMOTIONS
BEHAVIOUR
Table 6.1.1.
EXAMPLE OF ANALYSIS OF POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SITUATIONS
Situation: when your teacher tells you off in class
THOUGHTS
EMOTIONS
Im an idiot, now hell take a dislike to
me and hell tell my parents I misbehave in Fear, shame, apprehension
class. Everyone will notice that Ive been
told off and theyll think Im stupid
I wont take risks; Ill leave the jokes for Calm, joy, self-confidence
playtime
BEHAVIOUR
I lower my head and cant
concentrate during the rest
of the class
I keep quiet and follow the
class as normal
Finally, the results are discussed and the behaviour chains are written on the blackboard.
We must emphasize the idea of the thought-emotion-behaviour sequence, i.e. how the
way we think (positive and negative thoughts about what happens or about the situations
in which we are) leads us to experience different emotions and different ways of
behaving. The change is achieved by repeating an appropriate form of behaviour over
and over in view of the demands of the environment. The repetition of an appropriate
alternative behaviour involves a change in the way of feeling and thinking, and over
time it is usually consistent with the change generated.
2.6.3. Activity 3: How to feel better?
The aim of this activity is to provide the participants with a series of simple guidelines
that can be used in negative self-esteem situations. The practitioner explains: as we
have seen in the previous activity, in order to feel better we must replace our thoughts,
if they are negative or unpleasant, with more pleasant ones, as it is thoughts that create
our feelings. Lets try out some tricks so that we can succeed, because its not always
easy to change the way we think or the things we say to ourselves.
Next, the participants are asked to provide ideas about the tricks we can use, writing
their suggestions for each specific case. Then, Sheet 6.1.4. Guidelines for feeling
better is handed out and the practitioner explains such guidelines, pointing out that
they must apply them to the case below.
Sheet 6.1.4.
GUIDELINES FOR FEELING BETTER
Instructions: read the tips listed below; they can help us to feel better. Then, apply them to Carlos
situation
1. Remember past successes in similar situations (for example, I fell on the Metro stairs and was helped
by a handsome boy or girl).
2. Think of something that plays down the importance of the situation (for example, if they look at me
thinking I am stupid: what do I care, do I even know them?).
3. Do not think in terms of all or nothing (for example, Im not always clumsy, sometimes Im good at
doing things).
4. Do not generalize what is only one part or aspect (for example, I have a crooked nose, but Im not
ugly, Im shy but Im not an odd person).
5. Replace your feeling-based thought with a behaviour-based one (for example, Im not a bore, I just
didnt go out because I didnt feel like it).
6. Think of something that helps you to change what you dont like (for example, if I overcome my
shyness and approach that group, Ill make some friends and Ill have a better time).
7. Do not plan impossible ideals.
8. Always think of something positive that is related.
- Situation: As usual, Carlos goes out at the weekend with his friends. Theres a group of girls near
them; he likes one of the girls a lot. Their eyes meet and they smile at each other. Finally, Carlos decides
to say something to her, but she rejects him. He cant help thinking from that moment that hes a fool,
and he shouldnt have said anything. He thinks: She looked at me because Im ridiculous and she was
laughing at me. Now her friends will make fun of me because I didnt know what to say; anyone would
have thought of something, but Im not witty; she hasnt given me a chance; its normal, Im the
ugliest of my friends, because sometimes theyve had success with girls...
- How does Carlos feel?
- How could he change it? (by changing his thoughts)
- What alternative thoughts or tricks could he use?
- What feelings would those new thoughts generate?
b) Story: The chained elephant (Sheet 6.1.7.): this story by Jorge Bucay is aimed at
reflecting on and becoming aware of the origin and importance of emotions, as well as
the importance of the behaviours learnt during our childhood, making the participants
aware that the past has an influence, even though we cannot change it. After reading the
story and answering the questions suggested in order to start the debate, you can ask the
following questions: How do other peoples opinions influence our self-concept? Do
you think our self-knowledge is modified throughout our life?
Sheet 6.1.7.
THE CHAINED ELEPHANT
Instructions: read the following story and answer the questions
When I was a child, I loved going to the circus, and what I liked most were the animals. I was quite
impressed by the elephant, which also attracted other childrens attention, as I found out later.
During the show, the huge animal displayed its weight, size and enormous strength, but after its
performance and until some moments before returning to the stage, the elephant was kept with a chain
that tied one of its legs to a small stake driven into the ground.
However, the stake was just a tiny piece of wood buried in the earth. And though the chain was heavy, it
seemed obvious that this animal, capable of tearing out a tree by its roots easily, could tear out the stake
and run away.
- Whats the matter with the elephant? Why does it stay chained?
- Why doesnt it run away ?
c) Getting to know ourselves (Sheet 6.1.8.): activity aimed at identifying qualities and
defects.
Sheet 6.1.8.
GETTING TO KNOW OURSELVES
Instructions: read the following text and fill in the columns below
Many of us have grown up with the idea that saying what we do well, our qualities, is a mistake and it means
we are not humble. Why? Is it bad to have virtues?
We also have defects, faults and limitations. We must realize that human beings are imperfect and must learn
to accept their weaknesses, while knowing that they are doing the best they can. Therefore, we must be aware
of our faults, because that knowledge of our defects helps us to find ways to overcome them.
The very knowledge of our virtues and defects helps us to improve our self-esteem and to know our
limitations and potential
WHAT ARE THEY
HOW CAN I
MY QUALITIES
MY DEFECTS
USEFUL FOR
CHANGE THEM
must give each participant a score from 0 to 10, considering the following criteria:
a) work done and b) assimilation and internalization of the concepts discussed.
2.6.7. Assessment questions
1. The personal qualities that make me different from others are defects and negative
aspects of myself (FALSE).
2. If I think negatively about myself or my abilities, I am improving my self-esteem
(FALSE)
3. To feel better about myself, one of the first steps I should take is to change my
negative thoughts (TRUE).
In the last 5 sentences, we tell them to include positive qualities that they think they
have but do not appear in the first 5 sentences. All the participants read their answers
and the practitioner gives a final summary when they have finished. Then the
participants are asked, one by one, to play the role of a seller in a fair and to try to sell
their product to the other participants. To that end, they will need to highlight the best
qualities of the product.
It is important to consider that it is not uncommon to find adolescents with inflated selfesteem that does not conform to reality in its manifestation. Here again, the practitioners
must be attentive to such young people, and when this kind of situations occur, they
must help them to adjust their thoughts, emotions and behaviours.
3.6.3. Activity 3: The qualities of others
This activity is also aimed at encouraging the expression of other peoples positive
qualities, which is an important issue, especially in order to learn to handle a variety of
interpersonal situations they have to face. First, the practitioner hands out Sheet 6.2.2.
Getting to know others positively to the participants and explains what they have to
complete it, following these criteria:
- In the middle, a picture that has something to do with them.
- In the upper right corner, something they like.
- In the upper left corner, something they do well.
- In the lower right corner, a part of their body that they like.
- In the lower left corner, a quality of their own that makes them stand out.
Sheet 6.2.2.
GETTING TO KNOW OTHERS POSITIVELY
Instructions: carry out the activity proposed, taking into account the following criteria:
- In the middle, a picture that has something to do with them.
- In the upper right corner, something they like.
- In the upper left corner, something they do well.
- In the lower right corner, a part of their body that they like.
- In the lower left corner, a quality of their own that makes them stand out.
The sheets are collected and mixed up. Each group member takes one at random and
they give, either aloud or in writing, a hypothetical definition of the participant to whom
the sheet belongs, without knowing who he is.
Next, the practitioner hands out Sheet 6.2.3. Positive qualities, and the participants
read aloud each of the qualities in the table. For each of the qualities, the participants
will give the name of a partner they consider to have that feature. If any of the
participants did not get any positive qualities, we would ask the group members to say
some.
Sheet 6.2.3.
POSITIVE QUALITIES
Instructions: read each of these qualities and think of a partner you believe to have that quality
PHYSICAL
INTELLECTUAL
PERSONALITY
RELATIONSHIPS
Intelligent
Responsible
Outgoing
Beautiful eyes
Bright
Calm
Kind
Nice legs
Imaginative
Patient
Polite
Attractive
Creative
Friendly
Agile
Affectionate
Runs fast
Next, the participants will be asked to describe the most important positive quality they
consider each of their partners have. Then, the practitioner will say the name of a
participant, and the others will say the positive quality of that person; the same will be
done with the rest of the participants. The answers will be written on the board, below
the names of participants. Finally, we will ask each of them if they think that the
qualities their partners have mentioned are correct, or if some of them are a positive
surprise.
In the conclusions, the participants must analyse ideas like the following ones (if the
participants do not provide them, then the practitioner suggests the ideas and lets the
participants comment on them):
- We are not used to verbalizing positive things about ourselves or others.
- On the contrary, we often express negative things, our own and other peoples
defects (and do not offer constructive criticism to help others).
- Culturally, we have been taught that saying our qualities implies being conceited,
and saying other peoples qualities implies being a crawler.
- When we think about and express the positive things we have, we feel good and it
improves our self-concept and self-esteem.
- When we express other peoples positive qualities, we make them feel good, we
improve their self-concept and self-esteem, we improve our relationship with them and
we contribute to make them maintain what we like about them.
3.6.5. Activity 5: Supplementary activity
With the aim of consolidating the knowledge acquired about the subject studied, until
the next session takes place, the participants will have to complete Sheet 6.2.5.
Reporting qualities, writing down the aspects proposed (the positive qualities they
see in themselves and the ones others see in them) in each of the columns of the table.
The practitioner can explain it like this: over the last few days we have seen that we
feel better when we say the positive things we have. We have also noticed that we do not
see our own qualities, but we do see other peoples qualities, and we have learnt to
express them with less embarrassment than before. Theres a table on the sheet that Im
going to give you, and you must complete it with those positive qualities. If you dont
know what positive qualities others see in you, ask them directly. Here, you have been
told some positive qualities they see in us; you can also ask other partners, friends and
adults.
Sheet 6.2.5.
REPORTING QUALITIES
Instructions: keep reporting positive qualities you see in yourself and others see in you
QUALITIES I SEE
QUALITIES SEEN BY OTHERS
Individually, the participants write down what they would do. When they have finished,
the sheets are arranged according to how much time they have taken to answer; the
practitioner reads the sheets aloud and writes the answers on the board. He will choose
two of them: one considered as impulsive behaviour and the other as reflective
behaviour. In the event that there is no reflective response, the practitioner will provide
it. We must not say that one of the two answers chosen is impulsive behaviour and the
other one is reflective behaviour. If possible, the impulsive behaviour will be chosen
from the first answers given and the reflective behaviour from the last ones, as if there is
some logic, the impulsive participants will finish first and the reflective ones will finish
later. The practitioner now tells them to focus on Sheet 6.3.2. Assessing the
consequences of an impulsive act and a reflective act and asks them to note down the
two behaviours chosen, and the possible consequences of each, both short and longterm.
Sheet 6.3.2.
ASSESSING THE CONSEQUENCES OF AN IMPULSIVE ACT AND A
REFLECTIVE ACT
Instructions: assess the possible consequences of each of the behaviours chosen
POSSIBLE POSITIVE
POSSIBLE NEGATIVE
IF I
CONSEQUENCES
CONSEQUENCES
When the participants finish, the answers are shared and the consequences suggested are
written on the board. Finally, a discussion follows for each of the types of behaviour
studied (impulsive and reflective), analysing the adequacy of each of them (those with
negative consequences and those with positive consequences), and the implications of
learning and implementing thinking and analysing before acting for the participants
personal development.
4.6.4. Activity 4: Supplementary activity
So that the participants go more deeply into the analysis of impulsive behaviours, we
ask them to fill out Sheet 6.3.3. My impulsive behaviour for the next session. They
will have to refer to some situations in which they have acted impulsively. It is
important to emphasize that this exercise will be necessary for the next session, hence
the importance of doing it. If it were not possible, it will be done as the last activity of
the session.
The practitioner explains that they have to include any situation in which they reacted
without thinking and which they later regretted, or any situation in which they got angry
about something, but lost all control of it because of the way they behaved. Using the
sheet, they have to describe the situation, the impulsive behaviour and its consequences,
as well as the possible reflective behaviour they could have exhibited and its possible
consequences.
Sheet 6.3.3.
MY IMPULSIVE BEHAVIOUR
Instructions: describe situations in which you reacted impulsively, the impulsive behaviour itself and
the consequences of that way of behaving
SITUATIONS
DESCRIPTION
- Situation 1:
Impulsive behaviour and consequences
Reflective behaviour and consequences
- Situation 2:
Impulsive behaviour and consequences
Reflective behaviour and consequences
discussed again later in another activity, because the purpose of the current session is to
learn strategies that help us to control our impulsive behaviours, learning to exhibit
reflective behaviours in a standard way in our daily lives.
5.6.2. Activity 2: Javier and his impulsive behaviours
This activity is intended for participants to develop their capacity for reflexivity as much
as possible. For that purpose, the practitioner announces that he is going to read a
situation that they will have to analyse by describing several reflective behaviours that
would have been more positive for the person in that situation. He hands out Sheet
6.4.1. Javier and his impulsive behaviours and reads aloud the text included on it.
After reading the situation, the practitioner analyses the text together with the
participants, identifying and emphasizing the causes, the impulsive behaviour and its
consequences. After analysing the text, we run a brainstorming session about the
possible ways of acting in this situation; the suggestions must involve a reflective
behaviour. All the possible answers are written on the board and discussed. The
practitioner must highlight the assertive responses, emphasizing the negative
consequences of aggressive responses.
Sheet 6.4.1.
JAVIER AND HIS IMPULSIVE BEHAVIOURS
Instructions: read the following text with your practitioner and underline the causes, the impulsive
behaviour and the consequences of such behaviour.
Javier, a 14-year-old high school student, didnt have a good day. In the morning, before leaving home
to go to school, he had argued with his mother. To make matters worse, he had forgotten the money for
the mid-morning snack and the drawing he had to hand in. He was in the drawing class. The teacher
scolded him for not doing his homework and then for speaking several times. The classmate sitting
behind him began to ask him about the maths homework, when suddenly the teacher addressed him
again:
Javier, leave the class.
Me? Why? Javier replied angrily.
Ive told you to leave class, the teacher repeated.
But I havent done anything, Javier replied self-confidently.
You havent done anything? First, you dont bring your homework, and second, this is the third time I
have scolded you in an hour.
Javier exploded, took the book and dropped it violently on the table, detaching the cover and spoiling
several pages. As he was leaving, he kicked his rucksack and slammed the door. Javier had to go to see
the director of studies, and his tutor had a chat with him. His parents found out about the incident and
punished him by not letting him go out for two weeks and not using the computer or playing video
games. As a consequence of kicking his rucksack, he broke the Discman headphones, and also had to
mend the book, whose covers detached continually during the course, making it more difficult to
handle.
Among the possible answers, we must include the usefulness of self-control strategies
such as (in some of them, the key is to gain time to think and decide what you want to
do, to delay impulsivity):
- Pulling out of the situation before reaching the point of explosion and taking
advantage to reflect on what I can say to the teacher.
- Counting from one to ten slowly before replying (in this way, there is a break, and
more time to think).
Out of all the examples suggested, the practitioner will choose two, one in which the
extreme sensation is considered as positive or pleasant, and another in which it is
perceived as negative or unpleasant. Besides, both examples should be as similar as
possible in terms of the arousal or the bodily response caused by the extreme sensation.
In addition, we will try to choose two sensations which are known to the group and
which have been experienced by all or most of the participants. For example, getting a
prize or winning a competition, and taking an exam. To this end, the participants can
vote to see which ones are the most common among them.
Next, Sheet 6.5.1. Analysing sensations is handed out and the participants are asked
to describe the thoughts they have in the two situations chosen, as well as the emotions
and physiological sensations that are generated (what sensations do I perceive?, how
does my body respond?).
Sheet 6.5.1.
ANALYSING SENSATIONS
Instructions: analyse the thoughts, emotions and physiological sensations you would have in the two
situations chosen.
- Situation 1:
PHYSIOLOGICAL
THOUGHTS
EMOTIONS
SENSATIONS
- Situation 2:
THOUGHTS
EMOTIONS
PHYSIOLOGICAL
SENSATIONS
After preparing the report, the participants answers are shared. The practitioner must
highlight the idea that the physiological responses or the sensations, and even the motor
responses, are the same in both cases (increased heart rate, sweating, trembling, mental
block, motor clumsiness), though one of the situations is perceived as pleasant and the
other one as negative. The practitioner will ask the following question: then, whats the
difference between the two situations?. The expected answer is that the two situations
are distinguished by the attributions made to them and the thoughts we generate
depending on the context or situation experienced, but the extreme sensation is the
same, even though it is perceived differently.
6.6.4. Activity 4: Supplementary activity
In order to further deepen the identification and analysis of extreme sensations, Sheet
6.5.2. My sensations is handed out to the participants. We tell them that they will
have to continue reporting activities or situations involving extreme sensations,
analysing them in a similar way to how we have done it during the session.
Sheet 6.5.2.
MY SENSATIONS
Instructions: continue reporting activities or situations that generate extreme sensations, analysing them
in a similar way to how we have done it during the session.
SITUATION
THOUGHTS
PHYSIOLOGICAL SENSATIONS
the previous session are highlighted, especially the fact that different situations may lead
to the same sensations. We must also lay stress on the influence that our thoughts and
attributions have for the situations to cause those sensations.
7.6.2. Activity 2: High-risk situations
The analysis carried out in the previous activity is used to introduce the current activity.
The practitioner gives the following explanation: as we said in the last session,
extreme sensations are not harmful by themselves; it is certain activities or situations
that will lead to the risk of causing any harm or danger. Well see the possible
consequences of the high-risk activities that make us experience extreme sensations.
The practitioner hands out Sheet 6.6.1. High-risk situations, which the participants
have to fill in by writing down the possible consequences that the high-risk activities
suggested may have. They must also suggest other high-risk activities and their
consequences. The practitioner can include high-risk situations experienced by the
participants.
Sheet 6.6.1.
HIGH-RISK SITUATIONS
Instructions: point out the possible consequences that the high-risk activities suggested may have.
Then, think about and describe other high-risk activities and their possible consequences
ACTIVITY
POSITIVE CONSEQUENCES
NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES
Using drugs
Bungee jumping
Driving at 170 km/h
Once the table has been completed, we present the results in a similar table on the
board. It must be concluded that these high-risk activities generate more negative
consequences; in addition, they represent an inappropriate form of behaviour. Then, the
practitioner will ask if someone likes the sensations that result from these high-risk
activities, should they go without experiencing them or should they carry out dangerous
activities to have them?. Then a discussion follows, by means of a brainstorming
session, to come to the conclusion that those sensations can be achieved through other
activities that do not involve danger or risk.
7.6.3. Activity 3: How to experience extreme sensations with and without risk
This activity is intended for participants to become aware of the existence of other
activities that do not involve risk, but help us to have the same sensations. To this end,
the practitioner hands out Sheet 6.6.2. Extreme sensations with and without risk and
gives the following explanation: as we have seen, there are certain sensations that can
be achieved in different ways: some are dangerous and harmful to our health and others
are positive or neutral both for our health and for people. Both types are accompanied
by exciting sensations. Now you have to analyse the consequences that the following
activities may have. Each pair of activities (taking an acid trip and watching a 3D film;
going rock climbing without a harness and riding the roller coaster) involve a similar
extreme sensation, but the possible consequences are very different.
Sheet 6.6.2.
EXTREME SENSATIONS WITH OR WITHOUT RISK
Instructions: analyse the consequences that the following activities may have
TAKING AN ACID TRIP
WATCHING A 3D FILM
ROCK CLIMBING WITHOUT A HARNESS
RIDING THE ROLLER COASTER
The results are analysed, emphasizing the idea that you can have the same sensations
with activities that do not involve risk.
7.6.4. Activity 4: Seeking alternatives
This activity is aimed at enabling the participants to develop a series of neutral or safe
activities to experience extreme sensations. To this end, the practitioner gives the
following explanation: as we have just said in the previous activity, we can have the
sensations we like through other activities that are neutral or safe. Sheet 6.6.3
Seeking alternatives without risk is handed out and the participants are asked to
report the possible consequences of the two activities without risk that are suggested, as
well as four new activities and their possible consequences.
Sheet 6.6.3.
SEEKING ALTERNATIVES WITHOUT RISK
Instructions: report the possible consequences of the two activities without risk that are suggested.
Besides, add four other activities without risk that can help you to have extreme sensations and analyse
their possible consequences.
ACTIVITY
POSITIVE CONSEQUENCES
NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES
Doing yoga
Roller coaster
The results are presented and then the practitioner includes them in the table of the
previous activity. Next, a discussion follows in which we compare the consequences of
the high-risk activities in the previous activity and the consequences of the activities
without risk. We must reach the conclusion of the adaptability of the latter activities in
relation to the former, and the possibility of having the same sensations with both.
7.6.5. Summary of the session
As a conclusion to the session, the practitioner must briefly highlight the most important
aspects that have been discussed and link them to the objectives established, so as to
give the participants a sense of integration of all concepts discussed. The practitioner
must give each participant a score from 0 to 10, considering the following criteria:
a) work done and b) assimilation and internalization of the concepts discussed.
7.6.6. Assessment questions
1. We can only have extreme sensations with high-risk and dangerous activities
(FALSE).
2. The extreme sensations I get through high-risk activities are more intense than the
ones I can get through safe activities (FALSE).
3. In this session I have understood that I can experience extreme sensations through
safe activities, such as playing virtual or 3D car games instead of driving at 150 km/h
(TRUE).
MODULE VII
Relapse prevention and
strengthening of change
reoffended, one day, when coming back home from high school, decides to go through
his former neighbourhood, where he used to steal cars. This decision, of which he is not
aware, places him in a high-risk situation in terms of reoffending. There has been a
significant environmental change in the relapse process, as he is putting himself in a
situation involving a risk that he had not faced for a long time. In this situation he has
two possible responses: 1) realizing the decision he has made and the risk he is running,
so that he decides to get away from the situation and not to come back to this place until
he has recovered completely. This response will lead him to strengthen his self-efficacy
and his therapeutic recovery process, and he will feel stronger and better about himself;
2) if the young person remains for a while in the high-risk situation, he will begin to
rationalize the dilemma of reoffending with thoughts like nothing will happen if I do it
once, I dont think Ill be caught, Ill feel better if I dont give way to temptation,
I have to put myself to the test. He will also begin to anticipate the positive effects of
the antisocial/criminal behaviour by thinking that if he does it again, he will feel great,
as he used to, and this decision leads to a reduction in the control of antisocial
behaviours that he had come to achieve, and will also give rise to a decrease in selfefficacy.
These two facts, the anticipation of positive effects (e.g. if I steal, I will get money)
and the reduction in self-efficacy (e.g. Ive returned to the point where I was a long
time ago, I wont be able to get out of this), are further steps in the relapse process. If
there is no intervention at this point, the young person will steal again. If he is
discovered, he will conceal it and deny it, and it is very likely that he will continue
breaking the law. This is what Marlatt (1985) defined as the abstinence violation
effect, which is characterized by:
1) Creation of a cognitive dissonance and a negative self-image, as well as the
attribution of a personal inability to achieve recovery. The cognitive dissonance is
generated as a result of a discrepancy between the young persons cognitions and beliefs
about himself (as a non-offender, since he had managed to change in recent months) and
the occurrence of the behaviour that is inconsistent with this self-image (reoffending).
The dissonance is experienced in the form of conflict or guilt about what he has done,
encouraging him to exhibit behaviours (or cognitions) that eliminate or reduce this
dissonance. If the problem behaviour (continuing stealing) has been exhibited in the past
as a coping response to overcome conflict situations, it is likely that the young person
develops deviant behaviours (offending behaviours) again in order to eliminate or
reduce unpleasant feelings and sensations (e.g. he had set himself the goal of
overcoming delinquency, but now he is reoffending again). The cognitive dissonance
can also be reduced by altering, in a cognitive way, the new self-image (as a nonoffender) that he had found out in the previous months of therapy, and he will try to
bring it into line with the criminal behaviour he has taken up (e.g. I thought I had
overcome it, but Ive realized that after a while I fall into the same trap again and again;
I dont know what Im going to do to change permanently).
2) Formulation of self-attributions that lead the young person to put the blame for
the relapse on personal failure or on the fact that he is a weak person, instead of
considering the relapse as a situational response at a particular specific point in his life.
If the lapse is considered as a personal failure, the young persons expectation that he
will continue failing will increase.
High-risk
Situation
I remember the
thefts we committed
I feel excited and
think about how
much fun it was
Lack of
Coping
Response
I stay in the park
Coping
Response
I leave the park
Increase in
Self-efficacy
I feel good
I can control
myself
Occurrence of the
-Reduction in
antisocial behaviour
Self-efficacy
I steal a handbag
Nothing will happen if
from a woman
I do it once
The situation is beyond
my control
-Positive outcome
expectancies
Ill have fun
It will be like
remembering the
old times
RELAPSE
RECOVERY
ABSTINENCE
VIOLATION
EFFECT
-Cognitive dissonance
Its all my fault
I feel bad
I thought I was
getting round it
-Self-attribution
Im a failure
I wont be able to
get round it
I have no willpower
To properly explain the relapse process, the practitioner can use the theoretical
information contained in the section Approach and justification at the beginning of
this module.
2.6.2. Activity 2: My relapse model
Following the same process as in the previous activity, this exercise is intended for the
participants to analyse and understand how their relapse process has taken place,
evaluating each of the necessary steps. To this end, the practitioner hands out Sheet
7.1.2. My relapse model and explains that they must provide the necessary
information in each of the steps that have led them to have a relapse.
In the case of participants punished for their first offence, the exercise should be
presented for the purposes of analysing the process that could lead to the commission of
a new antisocial and/or criminal act.
Sheet 7.1.2.
MY RELAPSE MODEL
Instructions: Create your own relapse model for antisocial behaviour
Seemingly
Irrelevant
Decision
Coping
Response
Increase in
Self-efficacy
RECOVERY
High-risk
Situation
-Reduction in
Self-efficacy
Occurrence of the
antisocial behaviour
ABSTINENCE
VIOLATION
EFFECT
-Cognitive dissonance
-Positive outcome
expectancies
Lack of
Coping
Response
-Self-attribution
RELAPSE
After each participant has shared his answers with the rest of the group, we must
emphasize the differences between lapse and relapse, making sure that the participants
understand them and stressing the importance of acquiring adequate coping skills that
allow us to break the chain of steps that can lead a young person to reoffend.
Finally, the group will summarize all the types of situations and risk elements that can
encourage a young person to perform an antisocial/criminal act at some point.
2.6.6. Activity 5: Supplementary activity
In order for the participants to become acquainted with the subject of the next session,
we hand out Sheet 7.1.6. Preventing relapse, pointing out that they have to think
about what could have been changed in each case to prevent the characters relapse in
the examples included.
Sheet 7.1.6.
PREVENTING RELAPSE
Instructions: here are two examples of possible ways to have a relapse. Identify what could have been
changed to prevent the relapse in each of the situations.
- Case 1: Juan has just returned to school after spending some time in a young offender institution.
When he is walking through the door, he hears giggles and whispers. Juan tries to keep walking as if
nothing had happened, but the laughs are getting louder, and he feels his heart is beating faster and
faster. Juan thinks theyre laughing at me; I cant allow it, otherwise they wont respect me. Then he
turns around, approaches three guys that were behind him and pushes one of them against the wall,
hitting him on the head. The guy receives a wound and is taken to hospital.
- What could have been changed to prevent Juans relapse?
- Case 2: Sandra is very happy to come back to her old neighbourhood and see her friends. When she is
going home, she bumps into her three best friends, who are burning a bin near a bus stop. They are very
happy to see her and run to her to say hello. How cool, Sandra, just like in the old days. Weve missed
you. Look at this bus shelter, its half broken, lets smash it to celebrate youre back!. Sandra thinks:
well, nothing will happen for doing it just once more, theyre my friends and they just want to
celebrate that Im back.... They start kicking the shelter and smash it. They hear police sirens and run
away.
- What could have been changed to prevent Sandras relapse?
AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOURS IN
STEPS OR LINKS
1)
SCORE
Then the practitioner will hand out Sheet 7.2.3. Strategies to prevent relapses and
explains its contents: It may be stated that to prevent or stop the relapse process, we
must consider several key factors.
Sheet 7.2.3.
STRATEGIES TO PREVENT RELAPSES
Instructions: please read this information carefully so as to have a greater range of strategies to prevent
future relapses. Discuss them with your partners.
1. Being aware of the high-risk situations and factors that can lead us, little by little, to a relapse
without realizing it.
2. Knowing how to identify the erroneous thoughts that are related to the relapse (nothing will happen
if I do it once, afterwards Ill be able to control myself), and change them so that it is easier for us to
successfully overcome these situations.
3. Controlling the occasional failures or lapses: if we consider lapses as a personal failure, the
likelihood of relapsing will increase. On the contrary, if we regard them as a mistake from which we can
learn for the future, the likelihood of relapsing will be reduced.
4. Making a relapse contract: signing some kind of agreement with the therapist or the family about the
steps to follow in case of having of a lapse or relapse. This contract may include punishments or fines in
the event that you make a mistake, as well as something that must be done before the relapse. For
example, waiting 15 minutes before committing the antisocial act and devoting that time to reflecting
and reconsidering the situation.
5. You can plan crisis and relapses: rehearsing relapse episodes, in an imaginary or simulated way, in
order to anticipate actual high-risk situations and behaviour, and to prepare yourself for coping with
them.
6. Trying to avoid, as far as possible, environments that may pose a risk of relapse, and avoiding
being influenced by other people with whom we associate antisocial behaviour.
7. Change your lifestyle: plan, along with your therapist or your family, the activities you can carry out
throughout the day or in your free time. The activities must fit your needs.
Throughout this programme we have developed many skills and techniques that we can use to prevent
relapses. Now is the time to fully implement them and check their benefits.
In short, what we can do to prevent a relapse is:
Identifying the specific high-risk situations, with the help of questions like: When do such things
happen? How do they happen? How can I notice earlier?
Anticipating. Thinking of the risks that a situation may involve before it takes place.
Coping with the impulse to commit the act
Imagining yourself before a STOP sign:
THINKING of something else, something pleasant that can calm you down.
ACTIVITY: replacing the activity you are carrying out with another that you enjoy.
REMEMBERING that you can ask someone you trust for help.
EXPRESSING the difficulties of staying calm and not resorting to violence or crime.
When they finish, the results are written on the board. If some items are not reported,
the practitioner will mention them so that the participants can provide some ideas about
them. The contents are listed in Table 7.3.1. Contents of the programme.
Table 7.3.1.
CONTENTS OF THE PROGRAMME
- Criminal (or offending) behaviour: Definitions of criminal behaviour; functional analysis of criminal
behaviour (antecedents, behaviour, consequences); thoughts and related emotions; motivations for
offending (interpersonal and intrapersonal); motivation for change (precontemplation, contemplation,
preparation, change, maintenance and relapse)
- Emotions: What is an emotion; types of emotions (positive, negative); situationthoughtemotion;
empathy (what is it, what does it involve and what is it useful for); anxiety (what is it; cognitive,
physiological and motor components; its causes and its relationship to aggressive behaviour);
management of emotions (negative thoughts and alternative thoughts, abdominal breathing)
- Negative emotions: What is anger; physiological, cognitive and motor components; ABC model;
consequences of anger; triggers of anger; anger profile; functional analysis of anger; anger management
(relaxation, alternative thoughts, self-instructions and self-reinforcement)
- Distorted thoughts: Types of thoughts; distorted thoughts; consequences; profile of thoughts; circle of
risk (ABC); attributions; consequences of my way of thinking; how to change my distorted thoughts
(identification; evidence and usefulness criteria; replacement with alternative thoughts; thought
stopping)
- Characterization of aggressive behaviour: Definition of aggression; types of aggression (physical,
psychological, sexual, direct and indirect, passive or active); development of aggressive behaviour
(positive and negative reinforcement); developmental analysis of aggressive behaviour (what was it like
when it started, what has been added, what has changed, etc.); alternative behaviours (self-instructions,
resources); functional analysis of personal situations with aggressive behaviours; replacing high-risk
maps and routes with alternative ones; relapse prevention (what is a relapse, high-risk situations and
replacement with alternative ones)
- Personality: Self-esteem and self-concept (what is it, definition of oneself, tricks to feel better, ones
own and other peoples positive qualities); impulsivity (what is it, our impulsive behaviour and its
consequences, analysis of situations with alternatives involving self-control); sensations seeking
(extreme sensations; examples; personal cases; analysis of thoughts, emotions and related sensations;
situations or activities that cause them; high-risk activities and replacement with others that do not
involve danger)
- Relapse prevention: definition of lapse and relapse; relapse model; identification of risk and warning
signs; strategies for preventing relapses
Finally, we hand out Sheet 7.3.2. Final summary. The participants have to summarize
the most important things of all that has been previously discussed, considering the
different areas. Then, a discussion follows, emphasizing the alternative abilities and
resources that have been studied and learnt.
Sheet 7.3.2.
FINAL SUMMARY
Instructions: after reviewing all the contents seen throughout the programme, point out the most
important aspects in each section
CONTENTS
MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS
Offending behaviour
Emotions
Negative emotions
Negative thoughts
Aggressive behaviour
Personality
Relapse prevention
Table 7.3.2.
STEPS TO
ASSISTANT
BECOME
MECHANIC/GARDENER/ADMINISTRATIVE
Being............
Passing the second
year
Passing the first year
Enrolling on the course
Passing the 2nd year of Bachillerato
Passing the 1st year of Bachillerato
Enrolling in secondary school
Getting the primary school certificate
Next, Sheet 7.3.3. My ladder is handed out. The participants must propose a goal in
each of the areas suggested and complete the ladder with the necessary steps. When they
have completed it, the results will be analysed and discussed, taking into account the
abilities or resources that could be used.
Sheet 7.3.3.
MY LADDER
Instructions: think of a goal you can attain in each of these areas and complete the ladder with the
necessary steps
- In my personal life:
- In my relationships:
Sheet 7.3.4.
OTHER GOALS IN MY LIFE
Instructions: continue setting goals you can achieve and complete the ladder with the necessary steps,
abilities and resources
- Goal 1:
The participants answers to the three questions are discussed as a group, commenting
on the importance of being aware of our own abilities and virtues in order to organize
our lives, achieve the desired goals and plan our future.
5.6.3. Activity 3: Making plans
This activity is intended for the participants to be able to make plans (positive plans)
about their future, both short-term (in the centre) and long-term (when they leave it).
To this end, the practitioner will read the case included on Sheet 7.4.2. A guy like me.
After reading the case, the participants must put themselves in the main characters
place so as to analyze how their thoughts, feelings and behaviours have changed, and
how their lives have improved significantly because of it. The participants must answer
the questions included.
Finally, we will motivate them to be able to fulfil their dreams by integrating them with
the abilities mentioned in the previous exercise. Im proud of you because youve been
able to find your virtues, as well as those of your partners. Im sure youll be able to
fulfil all your dreams and achieve everything you put your mind to, with effort and
dedication, as Alberto did. Because you can get to have the life you want as well.
Sheet 7.4.2.
A GUY LIKE ME
Instructions: read Albertos story and answer the questions below
Alberto was sent to the young offenders centre at the age of 15. He had been reported several times
for stealing at knifepoint in his neighbourhood. But he didnt care, as he thought that nothing would
happen to him. He spent the money he stole on drinking alcohol with his friends in a park. When they
got drunk, they smashed everything around them. One of his neighbours, Pedro, was fed up with him:
the park where children played was full of broken glass, he was always robbing old or defenceless
people, etc. Pedro decided to go to talk to him and ask him to go elsewhere to drink alcohol. When Pedro
came up to him, Alberto took out the knife and stabbed him to death. The next day Alberto was arrested.
After the trial, he ended up in an institution similar to this one, where you are now. At first, he didnt
care at all and he thought that Pedro deserved it for telling him what he had to do. He thought he could
do as he pleased, so it was okay to shut his neighbour up forever.
But after a few months, something began to change. Alberto was participating in a rehabilitation
programme like the one youve followed, and he began to realize what he had done. At first, he thought
the whole programme was silly, but gradually began to realize the damage he had done, the mistakes he
had made, the feelings his offences had caused other people.
Alberto, with the help of his practitioners, started making plans for his future life after leaving the
centre: he wanted to finish secondary school and take a course in car maintenance, because he had
always liked cars. He was also eager to see his parents and spend more time with them. He also had a
girl in mind, a friend of his cousin Laura; he thought a lot about her and was planning to meet her when
he left the centre, and to try to have a formal relationship with her, if she wanted.
But in order to achieve all of that, first he would have to leave the centre, so he thought that he
would get the most out of the time he had to remain there by helping the new guys not to feel so alone, to
prevent anybody from taking advantage of them and to prevent them from getting into trouble. And so
he did. As a result, the time he still had to remain in the centre was much calmer; he felt much better and
realized he didnt need to pick a fight or insult anyone to get what he wanted.
Today Alberto is 20 years old. He works as a mechanic in the workshop of a friend of his fathers.
Although he didnt get the girl he wanted, he soon met another girl, Eva. She helped him with his
studies, supported him when he felt bad and helped him in difficult times; he enjoyed being with her a
lot.
- What were Albertos thoughts when he arrived at the centre? What were his feelings?
- Why do you think he decided to change? Did his way of thinking change?
- What has changed in Albertos life?
- How did he feel after the change?
- Do you think his life has improved?
- Do you wish your story were similar to his?
To achieve this objective, we will ask them to individually make a list of future goals on
Sheet 7.4.3. My goals in life. The practitioner explains: now I will give you some
time to think about what you want for your life, to think if you want a life like the one
that Alberto eventually had: the life he wanted. In order to achieve it, we have to make
some plans. Well see what your plans are in order to start to get the life you want.
Think, for example, that you can start right now: avoiding fights, or thinking about
attending workshops in the centre to learn a trade so that you can get a job when you
leave the centre, thinking about your family, what you will do when you see them again,
when you come back home... Remember that if you establish a long-term goal, you will
have to break it down into intermediate goals, as in the ladders of the previous session.
Sheet 7.4.3.
MY GOALS IN LIFE
Instructions: reflect on what are the most important values and goals at this point in your life, which
ones you want to keep because they are valuable and which ones you could change because they are
pointless
REAS
SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM GOALS
Personal
- Short-term:
- Long-term:
Family
- Short-term:
- Long-term:
Occupational/Academic - Short-term:
- Long-term:
Social
- Short-term:
- Long-term:
Health
- Short-term:
- Long-term:
Leisure
- Short-term:
- Long-term:
Then, on Sheet 7.4.4. My plans for the future they will add the abilities needed to
meet the goals they have set for themselves in each of the areas of their lives, and the
effort they will need to put in order to achieve them. The practitioner says: in order for
you to realize that you are able to achieve it, well see what you need in order to carry
out each plan you make for the future, and how much real effort it will take. Thus, youll
see that everything requires some effort, but if you really want it, the effort will be more
bearable.
Sheet 7.4.4.
MY PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
Instructions: Now think about and describe the abilities needed to meet the goals you have set for
yourself in each area of your life, also alluding to the effort that you think will be necessary
How much effort will it take?
PLANS FOR THE
(From 1 to 10; 1=No effort at
What do I need to achieve it?
FUTURE
all, 10=A lot of effort)
Table 7.4.1.
INFORMATION ABOUT MOTIVATION AND STAGES OF CHANGE
When people want to change something, that change does not imply a rapid process. On the contrary,
this is usually achieved by overcoming difficulties stage by stage. At each of these stages there are
thoughts and emotions that help us accomplish change gradually, until we are finally able to achieve
the goal we had set for ourselves. The phases or stages of change are:
1. Precontemplation of change: at this stage the young person does not think he has a problem or has
to change anything. However, this does not mean that other important people in his life -parents,
brothers/sisters and friends- do think the young person has a problem, despite the fact that they are the
ones who are suffering the consequences of his behaviour.
2. Contemplation of change: young people who are at this stage begin to feel that they have a
problem, although their initial awareness does not mean that they are willing to change. They are
experiencing a sort of ambivalence and they are not sure about the pros and cons of continuing with
their current lifestyle as opposed to changing it.
3. Preparation for change: this is where the young person decides he really has a problem he has to
solve by changing his way of behaving, by developing a new way of thinking and feeling about
himself and the world he lives in.
4. Action for change: at this stage the young person takes the necessary steps towards the change he
has decided to accomplish.
5. Maintenance of change: at this stage the young person concentrates all his motivation on
maintaining the new lifestyle, despite the temptations to drop it and return to the usual way of
behaving.
6. Relapse: return to the behaviour that existed before the change, to any of the earlier stages. It is
something expected and almost necessary, as it is not a failure but an experience in which one learns
to analyse what stressful situations, lack of coping skills, feelings or thoughts help the appearance of
the young persons behaviour that existed before the change.
After analyzing the motivation again and observing the changes that have taken place,
on Sheet 7.4.5. My final commitment, each participant must sign a commitment by
which he undertakes to maintain the changes made so far.
Sheet 7.4.5.
MY FINAL COMMITMENT
I,.........................................................., place
myself at the stage ....................................................... and commit myself
to maintaining the following changes that I have accomplished through this programme:
.......................................
.......................................................................................................................................................................
Signature: The participant
Additionally, you can suggest the participants that they write a short diary in which they
will summarize freely what they have learnt today. That is, they will write down and
sum up what they expect from the future, what they want at all levels of their life, how
they think they can achieve it, and whether they are now motivated to achieve it.
5.6.6. Summary of the session
As a conclusion to the session, the practitioner must briefly highlight the most important
aspects that have been discussed and link them to the objectives established, so as to
give the participants a sense of integration of all concepts discussed. The practitioner
must give each participant a score from 0 to 10, considering the following criteria:
a) work done and b) assimilation and internalization of the concepts discussed.
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